PLEASE DO NOT HANDLE ANY FLYING FOXES / FRUIT BATS.Microbats are nocturnal. They are warm-blooded, placental mammals. They live in tree-hollows, under loose/exfoliating bark, in old sheds, in caves, and also co-exist with humans in their homes, for example, in roof spaces and wall linings.
Microbats are our natural pest-controllers, eating many hundreds of insects each night during the warmer months of the year.
In the cooler months, between May to August, our bats go into torpor, similar to hibernation. They must not be disturbed during these cooler months. If they are disturbed, they can lose their precious fat storage/supplies that they have built up ready for their slumber, and possibly die as a consequence.
What to do if you find a bat...
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What to do if you are bitten by a bat...
Yellow Bellied Sheathtail Bat
Saccolaimus flaviventris THIS BAT MUST NOT BE HANDLED AS IT MAY CARRY ABLV (AUSTRALIAN BAT LYSSAVIRUS). LYSSAVIRUS IS A RABIES-ASSOCIATED VIRUS.
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A special thank you to Terry Reardon, SA Museum for his photographs on this page and throughout the site. Also, special thanks to the Tothill Family for the use of the header image for this site.
A special thank you also to the Veterinarians and Vet Nurses at the Adelaide Zoo, Dr Phillip Ritchie (Grange Veterinary Clinic) and Dr Trudy Seidel (Para Hills Veterinary Clinic) for their dedication to the bats of Adelaide.