A guide to caring for flying-foxes and insectivorous bats

To raise and release any native species requires you to have a license from D.E.S.I.  Caring for Flying-foxes and Insectivorous Bats requires a specialist license, which O.N.A.R.R. holds.  

In Australia we have Mega-bats and Micro-bats.  Mega-bats or flying-foxes are blossom and native fruit feeders.  They are the key to pollination in this country.  Micro-bats are insect eaters and can eat half their body weight in insects a night - good pest control.

Both flying-foxes and insectivorous bats are the only mammal capable of flight.  Queensland has 5 flying-fox species.  

The Black Flying-fox is a large, black animal, up to 1 kilo in weight.  It is usually black all over but can have colouring on its mantle at the back of its neck.

The Bare-backed Fruit Bat is a tropical flying-fox found only on the Cape York Peninsula and is smaller in weight - up to 550 grams.  It is different to other bats because the wings join in the mid-line of the back instead of along the sides of the body. This is the only flying-fox that roosts in caves and old mines. 

The Grey-headed Flying-fox is listed as Federally Vulnerable.  It is a large attractive bat weighing up 1100 grams.  The fur is predominately grey including its head. It has a ginger coloured mantle that goes from the front of the neck right around to the back.  It is the only flying-fox with furred legs.  

The Little Red Flying-fox is smaller than the others - weighing up to 600 grams.  It is a reddish-brown in colour, and when flying the wings seem transparent.  They are predominantly blossom feeders and follow the flowering of native trees up and down the coast. 

The Spectacled Flying-fox is quite large -weighing up to 1 kilo and has rings of pale gold around its eyes.  It also has pale gold around its shoulders and neck.  This bat is also Federally listed as Vulnerable and is found only in the tropical north of Queensland. 

The Eastern Tube Nosed Bat weighs up to 56 grams and has tubular shaped nostrils and is unusual with a bare skinned face and blotches of yellow and dark brown over the wings. Their eyes are forward facing and look bulging.  Their tail is concealed. 

The Eastern Blossom Bat is small - just 26 grams.  It is light brown to ginger in colour.  It also has a tubelike nose and no tail. 

The Northern Blossom Bat is also small weighing only up to 17 grams.  It is similar to the Eastern Blossom Bat, but it has strips of bare skin along the inside of the hind legs. 

There are at least 55 species of microbats in Queensland with varying weights and differences - Sheathtails, Freetails, Horseshoe, Bentwings, Broadnosed, Pipistrelles, Gould's to name a few. 

If a bat is on the ground for some reason, put a washing basket or box over the top of it with something heavy on top of that, or a towel can be thrown over the bat.  DO NOT PICK UP OR HANDLE THE BAT.  It may be frightened and could lash out or bite.  If you are bitten, the bat will have to be euthanised to be tested for Lyssa virus, so please do not touch it.  Less than 1% of bats carry the Lyssa virus, but do not take the risk - call an experienced carer. 

Should the bat be caught on a barbed wire fence, place a light towel over it to prevent it from struggling and call an experienced carer.  

Flying foxes can also be electrocuted on power lines but the pup they may be carrying will still be alive - call an experienced wildlife carer. 

During birthing season - October to December - is the time that flying-foxes carry their pups with them.  As the pup gets bigger and is still being carried by mum, she may 'park' it somewhere in a tree nearby whiles she goes and forages for food.  If she doesn't make it back, you may hear the pup calling - sounds like a little lamb bleating.  If mum doesn't make it back by the following day, please call for assistance.  3030 2245

The only disease that can be caught from a bat is Australian Bat Lyssavirus.  Our Bat carers are vaccinated for Rabies which covers them for Lyssa Virus.  There has only been one death from a flying-fox from Lyssa virus and one death from an Insectivorous bat from Lyssa virus - both were wildlife carers.  Since then, it is mandatory that all bat carers are vaccinated before caring for or rescuing bats.  

Hendra virus - humans do not get Hendra virus from bats.  They get Hendra from horses.  There hasn't been one human death from Hendra from bats.