Temporal Variation in the Activity of Echolocating Bat Community in Amurum Reserve North Central Nigeria

Abstract

The effect of temporal variation on activity of the echolocating bat community was determined in four habitat types in and around Amurum Forest Reserve: (i) gallery forest, (ii) savannah, (iii) rocky outcrop, and (iv) farmland. Using transect-based acoustic surveys in the various habitats, bat activity was estimated based on the recorded number of bat passes per minute of echolocation recordings from the field survey grouped into hours after dusk (19:00-23:00) and hours before dawn (02:00-06:00). Bat activity was significantly higher in hours after sunset than hours before sunrise. Activities did not vary significantly in the farmland between hours after sunset and hours before sunrise. In the gallery forest both times of the night had significant impact on bat activity, while in savannah and rocky outcrop habitats only hours after sunset did have significant effect on bat activity. The farmland showed a different trend by hours before sunset having a significant impact on bat activity. Echolocating bat communities in Amurum Reserve are more active during the hours after sunset than hours before sunrise. We recommend hours after sunset as more suitable period for surveying echolocating bat species through acoustic methods. The managements of reserves may do well in avoiding human activities in the protected areas during hours after sunset for maximum performance of the echolocating bat communities in the reserves.