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Post by sebbe67 on Jun 12, 2005 17:51:54 GMT
Nyctophilus howensis McKean, 1975
Former distribution: Lord Howe Island.
Habitat: Not known. Skull of type specimen found on ledge in a small sink hole in palm forest.
Reasons for decline: Not known. Suspected to be introduced predators.
Conservation reserves on which species occured: Lord Howe Island National Park (NSW).
The species is known only from an incomplete skull collected inside Gooseberry Cave on Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, which was previously considered to be of subfossil age (McKean 1975). However, re-examination and aging by the Chemistry Department of the University of Queensland indicated that its age may only be 50-100 years (Richards and Hall unpublished). It is the largest of the Long-eared bats, and specifically distinct. The discoverer of the skull specimen, the late Dr G.F. Van Tets, advised that :
the skull was found in Gooseberry Cave on North Head;
the cave was small, about the size of a 3m x 3m office, with a mezzanine ledge upon which the skull was located and would be an ideal owl roost;
he did not think that the skull was any different in age than the other bones (of birds) that he found further in the cave; and
he felt that the skull was 100 years old at the most, and was most likely something that an owl had regurgitated sometime this century.
Since its description, mammalogists have searched Lord Howe Island unsuccessfully for this species. Les Hall carried out a search of all caves on North Head which did not reveal any live or skeletal material (Hall unpublished). Glenn Hoye conducted a survey using bat traps and mistnets failed to find any N. howensis (Hoye unpublished). On this basis the species is now considered to be extinct.
this mean that this bat probably become extinct as early as the end of 1800, begining of 1900, and not 1500 as other sources say.
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Post by another specialist on Jun 13, 2005 4:33:14 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Jun 13, 2005 4:42:11 GMT
Justification MacPhee and Flemming (1999) consider this species to have become extinct before 1500 AD. The species is known only from fossil remains. N. howensis may be removed from the Red List, however, the matter has been referred to the relevant Specialist Group for a decision. www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php?species=15006But as sebbe67 says the dating on other source may be incorrect? |
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Post by Prolagus on Jul 26, 2005 21:19:31 GMT
Was this the only now-extinct bat-species from the lord-howe-island?
Sad,that so many forms of bats are extinct...
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Post by another specialist on Jul 27, 2005 6:51:07 GMT
Was this the only now-extinct bat-species from the lord-howe-island? Sad,that so many forms of bats are extinct... From what i know its the only one but sebbe67 may know different. New fossil finds are being discovered pretty regularly so more and more species appear and get described possibly as a new species. So its always changing. Yes its said to see and read all this threads of extinct, possibly extinct and we can't forget the endangered and rare species which may follow if we don't do something to protect them. |
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Post by sebbe67 on Jul 27, 2005 16:21:04 GMT
Lord Howe once had three species of bats, but only this one was endemic, the other two lucklily lives on the Australian mainland
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Post by another specialist on Jul 28, 2005 5:16:04 GMT
thanks sebbe67 for info
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Post by another specialist on Jul 28, 2005 5:16:55 GMT
to prolagus what sebbe67 has wrote confirms what i thought only one species extinct
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Post by another specialist on Jul 11, 2008 20:37:35 GMT
Nyctophilus howensis Author: McKean, 1975. Citation: Aust. Mammalogy, 1: 330. Common Name: Lord Howe Island Long-eared Bat Type Locality: Australia, Lord Howe Isl, North Bay. Distribution: Known only from the type locality. Status: IUCN 2003 and IUCN/SSC Action Plan (2001) – Extinct. Comments: Known only from the holotype, a fossil found in a cave on Lord Howe Isl. McKean (1975) suggested that this species may have survived into historic times on the basis of Etheridge's (1889) statement that a bat larger than Chalinolobus morio was occasionally seen on the island. www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?s=y&id=13802012 |
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Post by Melanie on Oct 6, 2008 14:46:47 GMT
Scientific Name: Nyctophilus howensis Species Authority Intra-specific Authority: McKean, 1975 Common Name/s: English – Lord Howe Long-eared Bat Assessment Information [top] Red List Category & Criteria: Critically Endangered D ver 3.1 Year Assessed: 2008 Assessor/s Hall, L., Lumsden, L. & Parnaby, H. Evaluator/s: Lamoreux, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team), Racey, P.A., Medellín, R. & Hutson, A.M. (Chiroptera Red List Authority) Justification: Listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) because, although this species is only known from a single skull found in 1972 and extensive surveys have failed to locate it since, islanders continue to report seeing two different sized bats. There is only one other bat species known from Lord Howe Island, such that these recent sightings raise the possibility that this species is not extinct. Were the species to be found, its population would almost certainly be less than 50 individuals. History: 1996 - Extinct (MOST RECENT-NEEDS UPDATING) Geographic Range [top] Range Description: This species is endemic to Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia. Countries: Possibly extinct: Australia Population [top] Population: It is known only from an incomplete skull that was considered to be a sub-fossil until a recent re-examination indicated that it was from the 20th century (Richards 2008). Population Trend: Unknown Habitat and Ecology [top] Habitat and Ecology: The only known specimen (an incomplete skull) was collected from a ledge in a cave that may have been an owl roost (Duncan et al. 1999). Systems: Terrestrial Threats [top] Major Threat(s): The reasons for its decline are unclear, however, it is possible that this species was predated by introduced owls and rats. Conservation Actions [top] Conservation Actions: Introduced owls have now been eradicated from Lord Howe Island and programmes to eradicate rats are underway (Duncan et al. 1999). Extensive surveys for this species have not located any remaining animals (Duncan et al. 1999). Contemporary reports by locals, however, of two sizes of bats flying at dusk, the larger currently unidentified (N. Carlile pers. comm.), indicates the need for further survey work. If it were found to be extant, further studies would be needed into the abundance, natural history, and threats to this species. www.redlist.org/details/15006 |
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Post by another specialist on Oct 23, 2008 19:51:40 GMT
 New Zealand Journal of Zoology |
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Post by surroundx on Nov 16, 2013 6:36:44 GMT
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Post by Melanie on Jul 4, 2014 16:41:53 GMT
Etheridge's account about a bat which might be the Lord Howe long-eared bat (1889) The only indigenous lower mammals existing on Lord Howe are bats, but even these are not plentiful. A single specimen of Scotophilus morio, Gray, * similar to those obtained by Morton was shot by Mr. Unwin, and a larger species was occasionally seen. The" gardens" and other clearings are their favourite haunts, but they are sometimes seen flying around the cottages. Mr. A. Morton, when on the island in 1882, reported the existence of a flying fox, but careful inquiry failed to elicit confirmatory evidence of this, and none were observed by us. We anticipated meeting with bats in the Coral-rock caves at North Bay, one of the most favourable habitats for them on the whole island, but not the slightest trace was found. The general zoology of Lord Howe Island; containing also an account of the collections made by the Australian Museum Collecting Party, Aug.–Sept., 1887 (page 6) australianmuseum.net.au/journal/Etheridge-1889-Aust-Mus-Mem-21-142 |
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