A lesser short-tailed bat is a small mammal like a mouse. It has a claw on each wing as well as its feet. It lives in forests and is endemic to NZ

 

It’s small and black brown like a little mouse. It has fur on its body, little front teeth, and small ears.

 

They eat seeds, bugs, spiders, worms, and beetles. They burrow under leaf litter to find their food.

 

They live in hollow trees or holes that they dig in rotten wood. In winter they hibernate for six to ten days at a time.

Baby bats are called pups. Pups take four to six weeks until they can fly. At eight-twelve weeks old they can look after themselves.

 

They are endangered because people brought animals such as stoats rodents and cats. These days short-tailed bats live on two offshore islands – Little Barrier Island and CodfishIsland.

 

I would like to see a lesser short-tailed bat to see how small they are and how they tuck their wings in and watch them walk on the forest floor.