The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat Coleura seychellensis: Monitoring methodologies and recommended priority actions

The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat Coleura seychellensis is Critically Endangered with fewer than 30 individuals censused in 1996/1997. The surviving population is estimated to be as low as 50 to 100 individuals. Records from the last century and popular reports indicate that a strong decline in numbers and probably range has occurred. The species is present on Silhouette, Mahé, Praslin, and possibly already extinct on La Digue. Recommended monitoring comprises annual census of individuals along established transects using bat detectors, regular visits to all known caves and census of individuals, searches for roosting caves nearby repeated contacts with the species and assessment of the evolution of its distribution every 3 or 4 years. The main conservation actions required are legal protection for all known roosting caves and their immediate surroundings, control of introduced predators (barn owls and cats) in these areas, habitat protection within known feeding area and public sensitisation to help protecting the species and obtain information on feeding areas or roosting caves. Research into the biology and autecology of the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat is required, including basic information on feeding ecology and diet, habitat preference, movements, roosting habits and breeding ecology.