Queensland Tube-nosed Fruit Bat

As a species of Pteropodidae, the fruit eating bats, it is the only Nyctimene bat to occur on mainland Australia. They are readily distinguished by the unusual nostrils that protrude from the short, broad and rounded muzzle. The ears and wing membranes exhibit many small contrasting spots of a yellow-green or pallid yellow colour, a characteristic also observed in the Torres species Nyctimene cephalotes. These spots are thought to serve as camouflage when the bats are resting during the day, but they have also found to be photoluminescent, a phenomenon not observed in other bat species, nor in captive specimens of the N. robinsoni. The colour of the pelage is russet to greyish shades of brown, greyer at the face and over the head, with a dark line extending down the back from the neck. The eyes are bright red when reflecting light. The measurements of the forearm are 65 to 70 millimetres, the head and body combined is from 82 to 93 mm and the length of the ear from base to tip is 16 to 20 mm. The average weight is 48 grams, for the recorded range of 42 to 56 grams for individuals. The dentition is adapted to its frugivorous diet, lacking lower incisors and using the lower against the upper canines to consume fruits. Vocalisation is given in flight, when they emit a highly pitched 'seep' sound.

The distribution range extends along the east coast of the continent, north of Lismore, New South Wales to Cape York and at the islands of the Torres Strait. They are relatively common in Queensland, becoming more rarely seen south of Ingham. The habitat includes rainforests, woodlands and heathland, and open forest. They occur at tropical and subtropical regions in rainforest or wet sclerophyll forest. tropical vine forest or heath.

The tube-nosed bat, like other bats in the family Pteropodiae, relies on its sight and smell to locate food, which mostly consists of figs and other rainforest fruits. Flowers and their nectar or pollen are also consumed. Nyctimene robinsoni is also known to eat cultivated exotic fruit, and have been observed eagerly feeding on guava. Nectar also forms part of the diet, obtained from flowering heathland plants and species of Banksia. The species appears to favour native species over introduced orchard fruits, and travel just a short distance to feed at trees such as Ficus racemosa, the cluster fig. It is one of 14 tube-nosed bat species worldwide, and has the most southerly distribution of them all. The species reproduces with a single birth per year, sometime between October and December. The gestation period is three to three and one half months. The offspring is carried by the mother until it is large and well developed. The bat's tube-shaped nostrils may assist in locating ripe fruit. The two nostrils can move independently from each other, and may be concentrating aromas and following odor plumes through the rainforest. This function is often called stereo olfaction. The unusual nostril projections were once thought to act as a snorkel, allowing them breathe while the mouth is embedded in soft fleshed fruits. …