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.

[2] In opposition to this, some scientists believe physical similarities indicate Mystacinidae falls under the superfamily Vespertilionoidea.

[citation needed] This assumes that Icarops did not migrate to New Zealand, and that the colonisation event occurred after the genera became distinct.

[10] The bats can live at a wide range of altitudes, from sea level to high up among the forest-covered mountains.

[12] They have relatively large ears compared to their head and body sizes, which face forward to assist with echolocation.

Lesser short-tailed bats also have relatively large nostrils that face outwards, allowing these animals to use olfaction to guide their movements.

Their eyes are small and their vision is relatively weak, justifying their reliance on sound and olfactory senses.

Torpor allows for continued survival during periods of physiological stress, such as when the air temperature drops during winter.

During this state, the bats are inactive and only essential body functions are operating to reduce energy expenditure.

Entering torpor slows the body's metabolic rate down, yet it is different from hibernation, as the periods are much shorter and repetitive.

Their diet consists of various food items, typically including insects, other small invertebrates, fruit, and flower parts.

Lesser short-tailed bats are an important pollinator species within New Zealand through their consumption of flowers (either by ingestion or secondarily through their prey).

Researchers found that these bats will carry large quantities of pollen from a select few plant species, such as Collospermum microspermum and Dactylanthus taylorii (the Wood rose).

One of the defining features of New Zealand lesser short-tailed bats is their ability to forage both in the air and on the ground.

However, New Zealand's early geographic separation around 80 million years ago[19] meant the islands developed free from predators.

The lesser short-tailed bats forage on the ground by moving around on their limbs, sourcing prey by using olfaction.

In addition, they have talons specialised in helping them dig down among leaf litter and dirt layers for prey.

[6] Although, like other bats, they are not blind they are not heavily reliant on visual hunting, with cues like scent and sound being much more critical.

[23] Echolocation does not work as efficiently while foraging on the ground, because the echoes can be disrupted by the forest floor and anything occupying this space.

This issue does not occur when the bats are mid-air, as the sound has more distance to travel, and fewer objects could disrupt the signal or cause confusion.

The pups are raised in special sections of the colony's roosting site dedicated to maternal activities.

Other bats within the suborder Yangochiroptera have been observed to live for upwards of thirty years, which is unexpected for their small body sizes.

[citation needed] Currently, NZ lesser short-tailed bats are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with the number of individuals observed as declining over time.

Since the colonisation of New Zealand and the introduction of three key rat species the endemic bat populations have experienced a reduction in numbers.

[29] Before mammalian predators colonised New Zealand, the lesser short-tailed bat was preyed on by predatory birds, such as the laughing owl.

If these roosts were found by a predator, they could experience mass mortality events; in one incident, 102 lesser short-tailed bat deaths were caused by a single house cat in central North Island.

However, it is possible that the lesser short-tailed bats will not be affected by forest fragmentation, as the species has been observed to show behavioural plasticity, through the ability to change/occupy different habitats.

The recovery plan in place since the late 1990s involves a multi-pronged approach of different actions to take to prevent this species from further endangerment.