Pacific sheath-tailed bat

The Pacific sheath-tailed bat or Polynesian sheath-tailed bat is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae found in American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Micronesia, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu. Its natural habitat is caves.

Taxonomy

The Pacific sheath-tailed bat was initially described as a species in 1848 by American naturalist Titian Peale. He placed it in the genus Vespertilio with a scientific name of Vespertilio semicaudatus.
There are four subspecies:Emballonura semicaudata palauensis: found in PalauEmballonura semicaudata rotensis: found in the southern Mariana IslandsEmballonura semicaudata semicaudata: found on Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and American SamoaEmballonura semicaudata sulcata: found on the islands comprising Chuuk State and Pohnpei

Biology

The Pacific sheath-tailed bat is insectivorous, and prefers to forage in forests. It will travel distances of to reach foraging grounds. At night it roost in caves, lava tubes, tree hollows, and rock crevices. It is a social species, forming colonies ranging in size from a few individuals to hundreds.

Conservation

In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species on its worldwide priority list for conservation. It is threatened by habitat loss. There are estimated to be approximately 500 individuals of the subspecies E. s. rotensis. Currently known to roost in only three caves, E. s. rotensis is vulnerable to changes in the local habitat, including indirect impacts caused by invasive species such as goats which limit its carrying capacity.