New Zealand greater short-tailed bat

New Zealand greater short-tailed bat
Specimen held at Auckland Museum

Critically endangered, possibly extinct  (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Data Deficient (NZ TCS)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Mystacinidae
Genus: Mystacina
Species:
M. robusta
Binomial name
Mystacina robusta
(Dwyer, 1962)

The New Zealand greater short-tailed bat (Mystacina robusta) is one of two species of New Zealand short-tailed bats, a family (Mystacinidae) unique to New Zealand. Larger than the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat, there have been no confirmed sightings of this species since 1965[3] and it is considered to be critically endangered, if not extinct.[1] In prehistoric times it lived in the North and South Islands but by the time of European arrival was restricted to small islands near Stewart Island / Rakiura. A rat invasion of Taukihepa/Big South Cape Island in 1963 was thought to have led to the species' extinction,[4] however, recent surveys have raised hopes that the species may still exist.[2]

  1. ^ a b O'Donnell, C. (2021). "Mystacina robusta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T14260A22070387. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T14260A22070387.en. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Blackburn (1965). "Muttonbird islands diary". Notornis. 12 (4): 191–207.
  4. ^ Bell, E. A.; Bell, B. D.; Merton, D. V. (2016). "The legacy of Big South Cape: rat irruption to rat eradication". New Zealand Journal of Ecology. 40 (2): 212. doi:10.20417/nzjecol.40.24.