Pekapeka / Long-tailed bat

Chalinolobus tuberculatus

Threatened - Nationally Critical

Swift, secretive and small but mighty, the pekapeka-tou-roa (long-tailed bat) is one of Aotearoa’s only native land mammals. Emerging at dusk to hunt for insects on the wing, these tiny taonga flit through forest edges and river valleys with astonishing agility. Silent and seldom seen, they’re a living reminder of New Zealand’s ancient, wild past.

Quick Facts:

• Weighing only about 8–11 grams, pekapeka are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
• They can reach flying speeds of up to 60 km/h – one of the fastest bats relative to body size in the world.
• Roosting in tree cavities, old bark and occasionally buildings, they form communal roosts that shift seasonally.
• Once widespread, pekapeka are now nationally critical due to habitat loss and predators like stoats, rats and feral cats.
• Their closest relatives lived here long before humans arrived – true survivors from a time when bats ruled the land.

Protecting pekapeka means protecting our native forests and night skies – keeping them dark, quiet, and free from introduced predators. Where there’s pekapeka, there’s wild magic after dark.

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