Overview
The New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat (Mystacina tuberculata), known in Māori as the pekapeka-tou-poto, is one of the most evolutionarily distinct and remarkable bats on Earth. As one of only two surviving native terrestrial mammal species in New Zealand, this ancient Gondwanan relict has evolved to fill the ecological niche of small ground-dwelling mice and shrews, spending up to forty percent of its foraging hours scurrying agilely on all fours across the leaf-littered floor of ancient temperate rainforests.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Mystacina tuberculata features velvety, greyish-brown fur and a short tail that projects free from the upper surface of the interfemoral membrane. Its anatomical adaptations for terrestrial locomotion are extraordinary: its flight membranes fold away neatly beneath protective leathery sheaths along the sides of its body, while its thumbs and robust hind feet possess specialized sharp basal talons and grooved claws that allow it to sprint, scurry, and burrow through leaf litter with rodent-like agility.
Behavior and Ecology
Unlike almost all other chiropterans that forage exclusively in midair, the lesser short-tailed bat hunts both on the wing and on the forest floor. It roots through deep moss, rotting logs, and humus, using its acute sense of smell and broad ears to locate flightless wētā, beetles, and spiders. It is also an indispensable pollinator for rare endemic plants like the parasitic wood rose (Dactylanthus taylorii), drinking nectar and dusting its furry muzzle with pollen. Colonies roost communally inside giant hollow kauri and southern beech trees.
Conservation and Human Impact
Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, Mystacina tuberculata suffered catastrophic declines following human colonization due to widespread old-growth forest clearance and heavy predation by introduced mammalian carnivores, particularly feral cats, stoats, and black rats. Intensive conservation interventions by the New Zealand Department of Conservation—including aerial predator control, captive breeding, and translocations to pest-free offshore islands like Whenua Hou (Codfish Island)—have secured vital breeding populations.
Interesting Factoid
The New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat can fold its wings completely into protective leathery pockets, turning itself into a four-legged running machine that scampers across the forest floor faster than a mouse.
Last updated: October 2026