Southern Bent-Wing Bat (Yowie)

The southern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus orianae bassanii) is a type of microbat, measuring just 52-58mm long (head and body) and weighing about 15g. They are critically endangered. The Southern Bent-wing Bat eats insects and is known to roost in caves near the coastal cliffs of south western Victoria and south eastern South Australia. They forage each night using a regular flight path. Southern Bent-wing Bats have an ultrasonic call that humans can’t hear unless we use special bat detectors. The bats are incredible pest controllers, consuming at least half their body weight in insects each night. The bats begin their annual migration to their maternity caves at Naracoorte in South Australia and Warrnambool in Victoria where the female gives birth to a single pup. The bent-wing name comes from its unique anatomy – with on the third ‘finger’ of its wing the last bone is four times longer than the middle one, giving a bent appearance. There are thought to be just under 41,000 bats left, after a population decline of 67 per cent since the 1990s. In the 1960s, the population was around 100,000-200,000.