Buderim’s first Blossom Bat and baby

Sunshine Coast Council has just recorded the first ever Eastern Blossom Bat in the Buderim area and as a bonus this one had a baby on board to boot.

The exciting discovery occurred during a fauna survey council conducted recently in the Buderim Forest Reserve network as part of its Environment Levy Program focused on protecting and enhancing valuable natural assets and native animals.

Environment Portfolio Councillor Jenny McKay said while this species was not uncommon in Eastern Australia, this was the first time it had been detected by council during a fauna survey as well as the first recorded sighting in Buderim, so that made it particularly unique and special.

“Council undertakes flora and fauna surveys throughout our environmental reserves to understand the environment better and inform and improve management of its many diverse residents,” Cr McKay said.

“The recent discovery of the Eastern Blossom Bat helps us to continue to build knowledge of the dynamics and balance of the Buderim Forest Reserve and identify the best strategies and actions to safeguard this species.”

Cr McKay said the finding of the Blossom Bat was even more rewarding as a newborn baby (known as a pup) was sheltered under its wing.

“Fawn to reddish-brown, with large eyes, a long narrow face and a long thin ‘brush-like’ tongue, the Blossom Bat is one of the smallest of all fruit bats, up to only 6cm in size,” she said.

“The species resides in rainforests, wet eucalypt forests and paperbark swamps and has a highly specialised diet, consisting of nectar and pollen from bottlebrush, paperbark, banksia and gum tree blossoms.

“The Blossom Bat is significant to the long term survival of our native forests because it plays an important role in the pollination and seed dispersal of many plants.”