Pacific sheath-tailed bat
| Pacific sheath-tailed bat | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Emballonuridae |
| Genus: | Emballonura |
| Species: | E. semicaudata |
| Binomial name | |
| Emballonura semicaudata Peale, 1848 | |
| Pacific sheath-tailed bat range (red — extant, black — extinct) | |
The Pacific sheath-tailed bat or Polynesian sheath-tailed bat (Emballonura semicaudata) is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae found in American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Micronesia, Palau, Samoa (where it is called pe'a vai, tagiti or pe'ape'a vai), Tonga, and Vanuatu. Its natural habitat is caves.
In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species on its worldwide priority list for conservation. It is threatened by habitat loss. There are estimated to be approximately 500 individuals of the subspecies E. s. rotensis. Currently known to roost in only three caves, E. s. rotensis is vulnerable to changes in the local habitat, including indirect impacts caused by invasive species such as goats which limit its carrying capacity.