The Batgirl
Sally Sherwen profiles Phd student Caragh Threlfall
Due to their tiny size, nocturnal behaviour and high-pitched calls beyond the range of our ears, many Australians would not realise how closely we live with insect-eating microbats. But Caragh Threlfall of the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales has spent almost three years following the mysterious and endangered creatures in the hope of unravelling some of their secrets.
Threlfall explains that, because Sydney is under increasing development pressure to house the human population, the microbats may be under threat from habitat clearance and urbanisation because of their reliance on tree hollows to roost during the day. But the problem is no one knows exactly how urbanisation has affected the bats and what strategies they may use to cope with these urban pressures.
In order to solve this mystery, Threlfall and her team of volunteers searched people’s backyards, along creeklines, in small bushland remnants, golf courses, parks and ovals in order to get a good idea of the size of the microbat population in Sydney. ‘We found a staggering 17 different species of bats living in Sydney’s urban areas – a number of which are listed as threatened in NSW,’ Threlfall says. ‘We also found that there is more bat activity in suburban environments than in our national parks.’
This research will allow land managers to better predict key bat habitats and understand where the hotspots for bats in Sydney are, Threlfall explains. ‘It will also provide knowledge for the maintenance and conservation of biodiversity in future urban planning policies.’
For more information visit the project website at
bees.unsw.edu.au/school/researchstudents/threlfallcaragh.html
