Bats
Bats of Southern Africa
Southern Africa has a fantastic diversity of bats. I was fortunate to spend a year working with Professor Ara Monadjem at the University of Swaziland on bat projects based in the lowveld savannas. I spent nights radio tracking the Egyptian slit-faced bat (Nycteris thebaica), investigating the importance of riparian areas for savanna bat communities, and surveying across Swaziland, South Africa and Mozambique.
​
Relevant publications:
​
Monadjem, A., Reside, A., & Lumsden, L. (2007). Echolocation calls of rhinolophid and hipposiderid bats in Swaziland. South African Journal of Wildlife Research, 37(1), 9-15.
​
Monadjem, A., & Reside, A. (2008). The influence of riparian vegetation on the distribution and abundance of bats in an African savanna. Acta Chiropterologica, 10(2), 339-348.
​
Monadjem, A., Reside, A., Cornut, J., & Perrin, M. R. (2009). Roost selection and home range of an African insectivorous bat Nycteris thebaica (Chiroptera, Nycteridae). Mammalia, 73(4), 353-359.
​
Monadjem, A., Mtsetfwa, F., Shapiro, J. T., Reside, A. E., & McCleery, R. A. (2017). Acoustic call library and detection distances for bats of Swaziland. Acta Chiropterologica, 19(1), 175–187.
​
Bat ecology and conservation across Australia
My honours research investigated two closely related species of freetail bat (Mormopterus) to find out if there was niche partitioning where they co-occurred.
​
I kept a keen eye out for the endangered Bare-rumped sheathtail bat (Saccolaimus saccolaimus nudicluneata) while living in tropical northern Australia. Although I was sad to discover a large roost that collapsed on Magnetic Island, it provided more information on this very enigmatic species.
​
Relevant publications:
​
Reside, A. E., & Lumsden, L. F. (2011). Resource partitioning by two closely-related sympatric freetail bats, Mormopterus spp. In B. Law, P. Eby, D. Lunney, & L. F. Lumsden (Eds.), The Biology and Conservation of Australian Bats (pp. 155-166): Royal Zoological Society of NSW.
​
Reside, A. E., Vanderduys, E. P., Fabricius, K. E., & Evans-Illidge, L. (2015). The unfortunate end of a bare-rumped sheathtail bat (Saccolaimus saccolaimus subspecies nudicluniatus) roost on Magnetic Island. Australasian Bat Society Newsletter, 45, 19-21.
