Are you batty well I think I am at times?

So just to start off a bit about our Magpie foreigners please note this is not a bat (you knew that I know lol) but I do like the old Maggie and we have four races of them here in the Antipodes (were we called that good heavens lol) this particular species is the white back pictured below but we also have the black backed, Tasmanian and western Magpie.

The Bat at the top is the Arnhem Sheathtail Bat.

When I lived in NSW I used to feed them amongst other birds and to be honest not one Maggie ever swooped on my head as they are prone to do; they do this in the breeding season around June.

I used to feed them chopped or minced beef or whatever meat available, and found if you do this you gain their trust.

Yeah well back to these bats the Arnhem Sheathtail Bat is very rare only 11 specimens have ever been sighted as the name suggests it is only been seen in the northern territory of Australia 11 is not many is it and it appears only 2 were ever sighted which leads me to believe the other 9 could well be in Queensland or New Guinea.

We do have 65 species of bat living here 8 of these are fruit bats usually known as flying foxes yeah I know a bit about them jokers seeing as they used to rob me of my green seedless grapes.

They also rob local orchards of their fruit we have a name for them I’ll keep it to myself lol

A little info worth remembering the fruit bat or flying fox in Australia carries Rabies and yet yes they can be handled with complete safety.

Mind you I like the little fellers for all that they look much the same as the Ghost Bat.

These ghost bats may look similar but they are carnivores indeed cannibals as well as they are not worried about eating other bats obviously not a criminal offence in bat land.