The tube-nosed bat, like other bats in the family Pteropodiae, relies on its sight and smell to locate food, which mostly consists of figs and other rainforest fruits. Flowers and their nectar or pollen are also consumed.
Nyctimene robinsoni is also known to eat cultivated exotic fruit, and have been observed eagerly feeding on guava. Nectar also forms part of the diet, obtained from flowering heathland plants and species of
Banksia. The species appears to favour native species over introduced orchard fruits, and travel just a short distance to feed at trees such as
Ficus racemosa, the cluster fig. It is one of 14 tube-nosed bat species worldwide, and has the most southerly distribution of them all. The species reproduces with a single birth per year, sometime between October and December. The gestation period is three to three and one half months. The offspring is carried by the mother until it is large and well developed. The bat's tube-shaped nostrils may assist in locating ripe fruit. The two nostrils can move independently from each other, and may be concentrating aromas and following odor plumes through the rainforest. This function is often called stereo olfaction. The unusual nostril projections were once thought to act as a snorkel, allowing them breathe while the mouth is embedded in soft fleshed fruits. This theory was contradicted in observations of the bats' diet, which is primarily firm fruits, and their method, shared by most fruit eating bats, of biting and licking fruits to consume them. The feeding activities of the species is a significant contributor to pollination of plant species, the dispersal of seeds and recruitment of trees within its forest habitats. They are highly agile in flight and are easily able to hover while foraging. They are often observed flying along tracks in forests, sometimes at quite low altitudes, and heard when emitting their whistling calls. The habit of roosting alone, unusual amongst fruit bats, is occasionally extended to small groups. The spotted wings are wrapped around the body at their daytime roosts, as they hang alone in dense foliage. This provides the species with effective camouflage in the dappled forest light.
N. Robinsoni exhibits signs of lunar phobia, as their body temperature is lowered to near-resting levels during full-mooned nights. This may be because they expend less energy when flying on full-mooned nights since fruit is easier to see. Conversely, they may be less active so as to avoid visually oriented predators at night. When held in captivity they are able to subsist on pears, bananas, pawpaw and citrus fruits. They do not appear to drink water. == Conservation ==