Australia Bat News

AUSTRALIA

The status of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi in Australia: Extinct

Posted: 15 April 2010 A Note from Prof Paul Racey and Lindy Lumsden, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria, Australia.

The Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi is endemic to Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, and is the only species of microbat on the island. It was listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 in 2006. Its distribution and abundance has declined dramatically in recent years. Bat Specialist Group member Lindy Lumsden and her team have documented a precipitous decline in the Christmas Island pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi and after several years of advocating for the establishment of a captive breeding program, were able to return to the island in August 2009 to attempt the capture of the few remaining individuals. Unfortunately, only a single individual was detectable and it evaded capture in mist nets and harp traps, before it eventually disappeared. It was last heard on 26th August. Long-term detector monitoring had indicated this was the last area on the island where the species remained. Lindy and her team reluctantly concluded that the species had become extinct. Detector monitoring has continued, however no further calls have been recorded.
The reasons remains speculative, but predation on roosting bats by introduced predators including giant centipedes, or some form of disease are possibilities.