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Long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) were common throughout New Zealand in the 1800s, although by 1900–1930 they were becoming scarce in many districts.

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Causes of their decline are combinations of clearance and logging of forests, clearance of trees for urban expansion and agricultural intensification, predation by introduced animals such as cats, possums, rats and stoats, exclusion of bats by introduced mammals, birds, wasps and human interference.

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They are believed to produce only one offspring each year.

 

Their echo-location calls include a relatively low frequency component which can be heard by some people, though most calls are at a frequency of 40 kHz which is higher than people can hear.

 

They can fly at 60 kmph and a bat colony can have a range of more than 100 km2.

 

An aerial insectivore, they feed on small moths, midges, mosquitoes and beetles.