Bats attacked by companion and feral cats: evidence from indigenous forest and rural landscapes in New Zealand

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cats are known predators of bats, but there are few published accounts of predation attempts. In this paper we report on two recent examples of bats being attacked by cats (Felis catus) in New Zealand. We found a Central lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata rhyacobia) in the gastrointestinal tract of a feral cat that was trapped in indigenous forest. We also report on a case where seven long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) were killed or injured over two years by a companion cat living in a rural landscape. We confirmed cat attack/predation using diet analyses, and pathological assessment and identification of the predator using DNA. We consider that depredation of bats by feral, stray, and companion cats is likely to be substantial and occur within all habitats where bats and cats overlap. LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8933333F-D145-41CF-BA20-3AE73D3B86B4