The conservation status of New Zealand bats, 2009CFJ O’Donnell, JE Christie, RA Hitchmough, B Lloyd and S Parsons
NZ Journal of Zoology - URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2010.513395AbstractThe New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) is a national system used to assess the risk of extinction faced by New Zealand plants, animals and fungi. The system is specifically designed to be relevant to New Zealand’s unusual ecological and geographic conditions. We undertook a re-evaluation of the status of seven bat taxa based on our knowledge of New Zealand bats using revised NZTCS criteria. Five taxa were listed as Threatened or At Risk: one as Nationally Critical (long-tailed bat
Chalinolobus tuberculatus ‘South Island’), one as Nationally Endangered (southern lesser short-tailed bat
Mystacina tuberculata tuberculata), two as Nationally Vulnerable (long-tailed bat ‘North Island’ and northern lesser short-tailed bat
M. t. aupourica) and one as Declining (central lesser short-tailed bat
M. t. rhyacobia). One taxon was assessed as Data Deficient (greater short-tailed bat
M. robusta) and one (little red flying fox
Pteropus scapulatus) as Vagrant. We suspect declines result primarily from predation and competition from introduced mammals, habitat degradation, and disturbance.
