Threat of Extinction
Although the range of the species has drastically decreased, it is estimated that several thousand ghost bats remain in existence today (Hudson, et al). The largest threat to the Macroderma gigas is mining in Australia; blasting of caves makes them uninhabitable for the bats. Because of this, declines in population are expected to be reversed in due part to increased survival rates, not immigration from other isolated areas (Hoyle, et al). There are very few national parks that strive to protect the species at this time (Hudson, et al).
References
Hudson W.S., Wilson D.E, (1986). Macroderma gigas. Mammalian Species. (260), pp.1-4
Hoyle S.D, Pople A.R, Toop G.J, (2001). Mark–recapture may reveal more about ecology than about. Austral Ecology. 26, pp.80-92
Worthington Wilmer, J., Mortiz. C, Hall, L., Toop J., (1994). Extreme Population Structuring in the Threatened Ghost Bat, Macroderma gigas: Evidence from Mitochondrial DNA. Proceedings: Biological Sciences . 257 (1349), pp.193-198
Read more about this topic: Ghost Bat
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