Mystacina tuberculata
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) is a small-sized omnivorous mammal endemic to the islands of New Zealand. It is one of two extant and three overall terrestrial mammal species unique to New Zealand. Its closest relative, the New Zealand greater short-tailed bat (M. robusta), was last seen in 1965 and is presumed extinct due to intense predation from ship rats introduced in the last few centuries. These bats are also commonly referred to as pekapeka, their Māori-language name. Lesser short-tailed bats have unique adaptations that differentiate them from bats found in other parts of the world. For example, they are fully capable of moving along the ground to search for food, and the males sing to attract partners, taking turns to do so. Lesser short-tailed bats are a vulnerable species, so extensive conservation work and research are being done to prevent extinction.
Mystacina tuberculata are members of the suborder Yangochiroptera and have recently been placed in the superfamily Noctillionoidea. They are members of the family Mystacinidae, which contains the single genus Mystacina. Within Mystacina... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 12 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to December, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Fiordland National Park, in our data
Fiordland National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Fiordland National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
