Pub Date : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.022
M. Fritze, S. Puechmaille, J. Fickel, G. Czirják, C. Voigt
Emerging infectious diseases may become serious threats to wildlife, a prominent example being the white-nose disease (WND). In case of WND, the cold-loving fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans colonizes bats during hibernation, invades the skin and has already lead to the death of millions of bats in North America. P. destructans most likely originated from Europe, where it also causes lesions but without associated mortalities. However, it is still unclear how European bats cope with the fungus. Hence, it is important to have tools that precisely characterise disease progression. Because hibernation is a physiological state during which bats are vulnerable to disturbance, in-situ assessments of the clinical status should be carried out minimal-invasively to avoid detrimental impacts on bats. However, currently available disease assessment methods require handling/touching bats and are therefore invasive: i) UV-light trans-illumination of wing membranes to detect lesions and ii) a qPCR-based quantification of fungal material from wing membrane swabs. Since P. destructans (‘Pd') becomes visible on all furless skin with distinct distribution patterns, we investigated the use of visible symptoms to assess levels of infections without handling/touching bats. We introduce a technique which we termed ‘Visual Pd-score’ (a visual classification scheme), which can be applied without disturbing the animals. To assess its reliability, we used P. destructans infected greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) to compare the novel method with the two existing golden-standard techniques. Our results show that infection levels obtained from all three techniques are correlated. Importantly, the information carried by the Visual Pd-score is most similar to a composite index combining the information from the qPCR-based and UV-light quantification methods. We conclude that the Visual Pd-score represents a promising index to better characterise disease severity as it is simultaneously representative for fungal colonization and wing damage. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of the applied techniques and conclude that the Visual Pd-score is particularly useful for routine hibernacula counts or large-scale P. destructans-surveillance. In combination with the lesion detection technique the new method is also applicable to immunological studies where both fungal colonization and associated damage have to be investigated, while qPCRs from swabs of all body parts are especially useful if it is necessary to detect cryptic infections, e.g. during the early hibernation period.
{"title":"A Rapid, in-Situ Minimally-Invasive Technique to Assess Infections with Pseudogymnoascus destructans in Bats","authors":"M. Fritze, S. Puechmaille, J. Fickel, G. Czirják, C. Voigt","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.022","url":null,"abstract":"Emerging infectious diseases may become serious threats to wildlife, a prominent example being the white-nose disease (WND). In case of WND, the cold-loving fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans colonizes bats during hibernation, invades the skin and has already lead to the death of millions of bats in North America. P. destructans most likely originated from Europe, where it also causes lesions but without associated mortalities. However, it is still unclear how European bats cope with the fungus. Hence, it is important to have tools that precisely characterise disease progression. Because hibernation is a physiological state during which bats are vulnerable to disturbance, in-situ assessments of the clinical status should be carried out minimal-invasively to avoid detrimental impacts on bats. However, currently available disease assessment methods require handling/touching bats and are therefore invasive: i) UV-light trans-illumination of wing membranes to detect lesions and ii) a qPCR-based quantification of fungal material from wing membrane swabs. Since P. destructans (‘Pd') becomes visible on all furless skin with distinct distribution patterns, we investigated the use of visible symptoms to assess levels of infections without handling/touching bats. We introduce a technique which we termed ‘Visual Pd-score’ (a visual classification scheme), which can be applied without disturbing the animals. To assess its reliability, we used P. destructans infected greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) to compare the novel method with the two existing golden-standard techniques. Our results show that infection levels obtained from all three techniques are correlated. Importantly, the information carried by the Visual Pd-score is most similar to a composite index combining the information from the qPCR-based and UV-light quantification methods. We conclude that the Visual Pd-score represents a promising index to better characterise disease severity as it is simultaneously representative for fungal colonization and wing damage. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of the applied techniques and conclude that the Visual Pd-score is particularly useful for routine hibernacula counts or large-scale P. destructans-surveillance. In combination with the lesion detection technique the new method is also applicable to immunological studies where both fungal colonization and associated damage have to be investigated, while qPCRs from swabs of all body parts are especially useful if it is necessary to detect cryptic infections, e.g. during the early hibernation period.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"259 - 270"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43410508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.007
Molly C. Simonis, Bridget K. G. Brown, V. Bahn
Emerging pathogens can cause mass mortalities in susceptible species. High host mortality, in turn, can alter species composition, community structure and function. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging wildlife disease introduced to North America that has decimated millions of cave-dependent bats. For areas affected by WNS, there have been reports of community compositional changes, but compensatory changes to species composition following WNS has only been suggested, not reported. To determine if compensatory changes to species composition occur following WNS, we used seven years of data from statewide citizen science mobile bat acoustic routes initiated by the Ohio Division of Wildlife in 2011. We hypothesized that migratory bat abundance increased and cave-dependent bat abundance decreased following the emergence of WNS in the study period (2011–2017). Our hypothesis was based on the higher susceptibility of cave-dependent bats than migratory bats to infection and WNS mortality. We used two sets of models to identify abundance trends of each species found in Ohio and species grouped by wintering and roosting behaviors that are putatively important to changes in species composition post-WNS. Following WNS, we found a compensatory change in species in summer months from cave-dependent, cavity-roosting species (Myotis species and Eptesicus fuscus) to migratory, cavity-roosting species (Nycticeius humeralis and Lasionycteris noctivagans). However, for species that roost in foliage in the summer, we did not detect an increase in migratory species (Lasiurus borealis and Lasiurus cinereus) paired with a decrease in cave-dependent species (Perimyotis subflavus). The observed post-WNS trends in bat populations could suggest shifts in bat species composition in other areas where WNS is established.
{"title":"Mobile Bat Acoustic Routes Indicate Cavity-Roosting Species Undergo Compensatory Changes in Community Composition Following White-Nose Syndrome","authors":"Molly C. Simonis, Bridget K. G. Brown, V. Bahn","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.007","url":null,"abstract":"Emerging pathogens can cause mass mortalities in susceptible species. High host mortality, in turn, can alter species composition, community structure and function. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging wildlife disease introduced to North America that has decimated millions of cave-dependent bats. For areas affected by WNS, there have been reports of community compositional changes, but compensatory changes to species composition following WNS has only been suggested, not reported. To determine if compensatory changes to species composition occur following WNS, we used seven years of data from statewide citizen science mobile bat acoustic routes initiated by the Ohio Division of Wildlife in 2011. We hypothesized that migratory bat abundance increased and cave-dependent bat abundance decreased following the emergence of WNS in the study period (2011–2017). Our hypothesis was based on the higher susceptibility of cave-dependent bats than migratory bats to infection and WNS mortality. We used two sets of models to identify abundance trends of each species found in Ohio and species grouped by wintering and roosting behaviors that are putatively important to changes in species composition post-WNS. Following WNS, we found a compensatory change in species in summer months from cave-dependent, cavity-roosting species (Myotis species and Eptesicus fuscus) to migratory, cavity-roosting species (Nycticeius humeralis and Lasionycteris noctivagans). However, for species that roost in foliage in the summer, we did not detect an increase in migratory species (Lasiurus borealis and Lasiurus cinereus) paired with a decrease in cave-dependent species (Perimyotis subflavus). The observed post-WNS trends in bat populations could suggest shifts in bat species composition in other areas where WNS is established.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"22 1","pages":"315 - 326"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43243315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.005
L. V. García-Herrera, L. A. Ramírez-Fráncel, Sergio Losada-Prado, Gladys Reinoso-Flórez, F. Villa-Navarro, Giovany Guevara
Bats have a major functional role in wetlands; understanding how functional traits of bats depend on environmental characteristics can facilitate management of ecosystems and their services. In this study, we investigated how bat functional diversity has been affected by different anthropogenic impacts in wetlands of the Trans-Andean tropical dry forest of Colombia. Specifically, we analyzed how different functional traits responded to changing environmental conditions and land use and land cover patterns. We sampled six wetlands during the dry periods of the hydrological cycle from 2014 to 2018 and modeled the functional diversity as a function of environmental variables. To understand the association of bat community structure with environmental variables and biotic factors, we combined the RLQ analysis and the fourth-corner approach to relate environmental characteristics and species traits. The percentages of water surface area and pasture land were found to be associated with the general traits of bats when analyzed using the relative abundance of species. In addition, changes in functional diversity appeared to be driven mainly by larger species (e.g., Phyllostomus hastatus, Artibeus lituratus), whose presence was primarily associated with heterogeneous areas. The fourth-corner analysis revealed that the greatest length of skull is the trait that best describes the presence of bats in landscapes of pastures, water bodies, and high abundance of the shrubs Vismia sp. and Cecropia sp. These results suggest that combinations of specific features are important drivers of variation in functional diversity between wetlands. Considering the high vulnerability of Colombian wetlands, our findings provide fundamental information for the development of strategies for monitoring wetland biodiversity. The results can help identify priority conservation sites and improve environmental decision making.
{"title":"Functional Traits of Bats Associated with the Use of Wetlands in Colombian Tropical Dry Forests","authors":"L. V. García-Herrera, L. A. Ramírez-Fráncel, Sergio Losada-Prado, Gladys Reinoso-Flórez, F. Villa-Navarro, Giovany Guevara","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.005","url":null,"abstract":"Bats have a major functional role in wetlands; understanding how functional traits of bats depend on environmental characteristics can facilitate management of ecosystems and their services. In this study, we investigated how bat functional diversity has been affected by different anthropogenic impacts in wetlands of the Trans-Andean tropical dry forest of Colombia. Specifically, we analyzed how different functional traits responded to changing environmental conditions and land use and land cover patterns. We sampled six wetlands during the dry periods of the hydrological cycle from 2014 to 2018 and modeled the functional diversity as a function of environmental variables. To understand the association of bat community structure with environmental variables and biotic factors, we combined the RLQ analysis and the fourth-corner approach to relate environmental characteristics and species traits. The percentages of water surface area and pasture land were found to be associated with the general traits of bats when analyzed using the relative abundance of species. In addition, changes in functional diversity appeared to be driven mainly by larger species (e.g., Phyllostomus hastatus, Artibeus lituratus), whose presence was primarily associated with heterogeneous areas. The fourth-corner analysis revealed that the greatest length of skull is the trait that best describes the presence of bats in landscapes of pastures, water bodies, and high abundance of the shrubs Vismia sp. and Cecropia sp. These results suggest that combinations of specific features are important drivers of variation in functional diversity between wetlands. Considering the high vulnerability of Colombian wetlands, our findings provide fundamental information for the development of strategies for monitoring wetland biodiversity. The results can help identify priority conservation sites and improve environmental decision making.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"22 1","pages":"283 - 294"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42385730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.012
B. Stapelfeldt, Michael G. Schöner, G. Kerth, J. van Schaik
Winter counts in bat hibernacula are a standard method to monitor their populations. However, it is unclear to what degree counting bats in hibernacula triggers energy consuming arousals in hibernating bats. This study quantifies the reaction of three hibernating bat species (Pipistrellus sp., Myotis nattereri, and Plecotus auritus) to a monitoring survey in a hibernaculum complex consisting of eight modified bunkers in northern Germany. Skin temperatures of hibernating bats were measured with a thermal camera at the beginning and end of each visit to quantify the proportion of individuals that elevated their body temperatures during the visit. Moreover, bat activity was recorded using light barriers placed at the entrances of the hibernacula. According to the thermal camera measurements, eight of 1,849 individuals in Pipistrellus spp. (0.4%) and one of 47 individuals of M. nattereri (2.1%) elevated their body temperature during the monitoring. The median number of light barrier passes similarly increased slightly from seven to nine on monitoring days compared to control days. Notably, general linear models suggest that the effect of monitoring was less severe with rising ambient temperatures. Our results suggest that bat monitoring in hibernacula is unlikely to threaten winter survival in hibernating bats if carried out responsibly, and the number and duration of human visits are kept to a minimum.
{"title":"Slight Increase in Bat Activity after Human Hibernation Count Monitoring of a Bunker Complex in Northern Germany","authors":"B. Stapelfeldt, Michael G. Schöner, G. Kerth, J. van Schaik","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.012","url":null,"abstract":"Winter counts in bat hibernacula are a standard method to monitor their populations. However, it is unclear to what degree counting bats in hibernacula triggers energy consuming arousals in hibernating bats. This study quantifies the reaction of three hibernating bat species (Pipistrellus sp., Myotis nattereri, and Plecotus auritus) to a monitoring survey in a hibernaculum complex consisting of eight modified bunkers in northern Germany. Skin temperatures of hibernating bats were measured with a thermal camera at the beginning and end of each visit to quantify the proportion of individuals that elevated their body temperatures during the visit. Moreover, bat activity was recorded using light barriers placed at the entrances of the hibernacula. According to the thermal camera measurements, eight of 1,849 individuals in Pipistrellus spp. (0.4%) and one of 47 individuals of M. nattereri (2.1%) elevated their body temperature during the monitoring. The median number of light barrier passes similarly increased slightly from seven to nine on monitoring days compared to control days. Notably, general linear models suggest that the effect of monitoring was less severe with rising ambient temperatures. Our results suggest that bat monitoring in hibernacula is unlikely to threaten winter survival in hibernating bats if carried out responsibly, and the number and duration of human visits are kept to a minimum.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"22 1","pages":"383 - 390"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48905290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.018
Marcione B. de Oliveira, C. Bonvicino
The diversity of bat species and some of their distinct biological and ecological characteristics contribute to their wide distribution, being generally abundant and common in a variety of habitats, factors that can influence their association with different emerging and reemerging viruses. Studies have shown that bats have characteristics which contribute to the evolution of a unique set of antiviral immune responses that control the replication of viruses, such as their gregarious social organization and ability to fly. In this paper we review the incidence of viruses in Neotropical bats, and the role of species as hosts or vectors of these diseases. A total of 110 species belonging to seven families were found to have been detected carrying virus in the region. Although Chiroptera is the second most diverse order of mammals, the diversity of bat-hosted viruses has only recently come into focus, as the result of improved wildlife surveillance. Diverse viruses have been detected in bats, however, in the majority of the cases, there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted from bats to other animals or causes disease in humans.
{"title":"Incidence of Viruses in Neotropical Bats","authors":"Marcione B. de Oliveira, C. Bonvicino","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.018","url":null,"abstract":"The diversity of bat species and some of their distinct biological and ecological characteristics contribute to their wide distribution, being generally abundant and common in a variety of habitats, factors that can influence their association with different emerging and reemerging viruses. Studies have shown that bats have characteristics which contribute to the evolution of a unique set of antiviral immune responses that control the replication of viruses, such as their gregarious social organization and ability to fly. In this paper we review the incidence of viruses in Neotropical bats, and the role of species as hosts or vectors of these diseases. A total of 110 species belonging to seven families were found to have been detected carrying virus in the region. Although Chiroptera is the second most diverse order of mammals, the diversity of bat-hosted viruses has only recently come into focus, as the result of improved wildlife surveillance. Diverse viruses have been detected in bats, however, in the majority of the cases, there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted from bats to other animals or causes disease in humans.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"22 1","pages":"461 - 489"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43809345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.009
Wen-Wen Luo, Mei-Ting Kao, Jian-Nan Liu
Pups of bats emit isolation calls and the precursor of echolocation calls (echolocation precursors) during postnatal growth. Isolation calls are used by neonates to solicit maternal care. In some species, isolation calls contain individual signatures that allow the mother bat to distinguish its own offspring from others. Little is known, however, about whether echolocation precursors also contain individual signatures. This study examined the postnatal growth and ontogeny of vocalizations in free-ranging Kerivoula furva, a social bat that uses the furled leaves of banana plants as day roosts. We tested the hypothesis that echolocation precursors of K. furva pups contain individual signatures. We found pups of K. furva emitted both isolation calls and echolocation precursors on the day of birth, indicating the two types of call develop independently. The call parameters of the echolocation precursors changed as pups aged, with the frequency increasing and pulse duration decreasing. The echolocation precursors resemble adult echolocation calls when pups reach approximately 25–30 days old. The results also showed the parameters of echolocation precursors differ significantly among pups that roosted together. We suggest echolocation precursors might function as communication signals for mother-offspring recognition.
{"title":"Echolocation Precursor Calls of Kerivoula furva Pups May Contain Individual Signatures","authors":"Wen-Wen Luo, Mei-Ting Kao, Jian-Nan Liu","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.009","url":null,"abstract":"Pups of bats emit isolation calls and the precursor of echolocation calls (echolocation precursors) during postnatal growth. Isolation calls are used by neonates to solicit maternal care. In some species, isolation calls contain individual signatures that allow the mother bat to distinguish its own offspring from others. Little is known, however, about whether echolocation precursors also contain individual signatures. This study examined the postnatal growth and ontogeny of vocalizations in free-ranging Kerivoula furva, a social bat that uses the furled leaves of banana plants as day roosts. We tested the hypothesis that echolocation precursors of K. furva pups contain individual signatures. We found pups of K. furva emitted both isolation calls and echolocation precursors on the day of birth, indicating the two types of call develop independently. The call parameters of the echolocation precursors changed as pups aged, with the frequency increasing and pulse duration decreasing. The echolocation precursors resemble adult echolocation calls when pups reach approximately 25–30 days old. The results also showed the parameters of echolocation precursors differ significantly among pups that roosted together. We suggest echolocation precursors might function as communication signals for mother-offspring recognition.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"22 1","pages":"337 - 348"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46251539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.008
J. L. Mena, Sandra Velazco, E. Arias, Katherin Bernabé
Occupancy models have not been commonly used in studies focused on bat ecology, although they offer an opportunity to include site covariates along environmental gradients as well as factors that influence detection probability (e.g., lunar illumination). Here we assessed the influence of elevation and forest cover on occupancy and the effect of lunar illumination on detectability of bat species in the Northern Andes of Peru. We captured 1,052 bats, belonging to three families and 26 species, over two survey periods (2008–2010 and 2014–2015) at 14 sites. The most detected species were the frugivorous Artibeus glaucus, Carollia brevicauda, C. perspicillata, Platyrrhinus ismaeli, P. nigellus, Sturnira erythromos, and S. oporaphilum. Detection probability (p) of both Artibeus planirostris, C. brevicauda and C. perspicillata were significantly related to the survey period, while S. erythromos and S. oporaphilum detectability was associated with lunar illumination. Elevation was marginally positively associated with S. erythromos occupancy, with a moderate relative explanatory power based on AICc weight. We did not find support for an effect of forest cover on bat occupancy. The estimation of both bat occupancy (Ψ) and detectability (p) provides the basis for the design of monitoring programs with a spatiotemporal approach and constitutes a critical component in the context of land-use change and changing climate. For bat species in montane habitats, we suggest that S. erythromos is a useful species for use in monitoring programs, based on both occupancy, and detection probability, as well as its adaptability to montane areas.
{"title":"Bat Occupancy Based on Mist-Netting Surveys in a Montane Landscape in Northern Andes","authors":"J. L. Mena, Sandra Velazco, E. Arias, Katherin Bernabé","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.008","url":null,"abstract":"Occupancy models have not been commonly used in studies focused on bat ecology, although they offer an opportunity to include site covariates along environmental gradients as well as factors that influence detection probability (e.g., lunar illumination). Here we assessed the influence of elevation and forest cover on occupancy and the effect of lunar illumination on detectability of bat species in the Northern Andes of Peru. We captured 1,052 bats, belonging to three families and 26 species, over two survey periods (2008–2010 and 2014–2015) at 14 sites. The most detected species were the frugivorous Artibeus glaucus, Carollia brevicauda, C. perspicillata, Platyrrhinus ismaeli, P. nigellus, Sturnira erythromos, and S. oporaphilum. Detection probability (p) of both Artibeus planirostris, C. brevicauda and C. perspicillata were significantly related to the survey period, while S. erythromos and S. oporaphilum detectability was associated with lunar illumination. Elevation was marginally positively associated with S. erythromos occupancy, with a moderate relative explanatory power based on AICc weight. We did not find support for an effect of forest cover on bat occupancy. The estimation of both bat occupancy (Ψ) and detectability (p) provides the basis for the design of monitoring programs with a spatiotemporal approach and constitutes a critical component in the context of land-use change and changing climate. For bat species in montane habitats, we suggest that S. erythromos is a useful species for use in monitoring programs, based on both occupancy, and detection probability, as well as its adaptability to montane areas.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"22 1","pages":"327 - 336"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49331847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.016
Carlos H. S. Silva, M. S. M. Amarante, Eugenia Cordero‐Schmidt, J. Vargas‐Mena, Marília A. S. Barros, S. Sartori, D. B. Morais
In view of the great diversity of dietary habits among bats, and the need for morphological adaptations in their digestive system, this study characterized and compared the morphology of the small (SI) and large intestines (LI) of the bats Artibeus planirostris (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) and Diphylla ecaudata (Phyllostomidae: Desmodontinae), and interpret their morphologies in the context of dietary differences. We hypothesized that diet could influence the morphological characteristics in these two species by means of a more complex intestinal morphology in A. planirostris than in D. ecaudata. The intestines were histologically processed, stained, and analyzed. Despite body mass differences, total intestinal length were almost two folds higher in A. planirostris than in D. ecaudata, and the intestinal coefficient, which quantifies the investment in intestines in relation to the body mass, wasn't statistically different. Macroscopically, no distinction was observed between the SI and LI, and few differences allowed to distinguish histologically the regions of the SI in both species. We found a typical organization of Peyer's patches only in D. ecaudata. Enteroendocrine cells were more frequently observed at caudal parts of the small intestine in both species. In A. planirostris, the SI diameter, the thickness of its wall, and the thickness and percentage occupied by the mucosal layer, as well as the wall thickness of its LI, were greater than those in D. ecaudata. Circular folds were observed only in the LI of A. planirostris. We speculate that these differences represent strategies to increase the contact surface available to optimize nutrient uptake in A. planirostris; while the hematophagous feeding habit of D. ecaudata, predominantly proteinaceous and semifluid, has a gut wall characterized with less morphological complexity and specializations; which confirms our hypothesis. Based on the similarities and differences founded, it can be concluded for both species that the reduction in the anatomical structures, associated with the microscopic findings, allows to optimize the absorption of nutrients and water in these bats when compared to other mammals; a similar pattern to that found in other chiropterans.
{"title":"Comparative Study on the Small and Large Intestines of the Bats Artibeus planirostris and Diphylla ecaudata: Influence of Food Habits on Morphological Parameters","authors":"Carlos H. S. Silva, M. S. M. Amarante, Eugenia Cordero‐Schmidt, J. Vargas‐Mena, Marília A. S. Barros, S. Sartori, D. B. Morais","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.016","url":null,"abstract":"In view of the great diversity of dietary habits among bats, and the need for morphological adaptations in their digestive system, this study characterized and compared the morphology of the small (SI) and large intestines (LI) of the bats Artibeus planirostris (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) and Diphylla ecaudata (Phyllostomidae: Desmodontinae), and interpret their morphologies in the context of dietary differences. We hypothesized that diet could influence the morphological characteristics in these two species by means of a more complex intestinal morphology in A. planirostris than in D. ecaudata. The intestines were histologically processed, stained, and analyzed. Despite body mass differences, total intestinal length were almost two folds higher in A. planirostris than in D. ecaudata, and the intestinal coefficient, which quantifies the investment in intestines in relation to the body mass, wasn't statistically different. Macroscopically, no distinction was observed between the SI and LI, and few differences allowed to distinguish histologically the regions of the SI in both species. We found a typical organization of Peyer's patches only in D. ecaudata. Enteroendocrine cells were more frequently observed at caudal parts of the small intestine in both species. In A. planirostris, the SI diameter, the thickness of its wall, and the thickness and percentage occupied by the mucosal layer, as well as the wall thickness of its LI, were greater than those in D. ecaudata. Circular folds were observed only in the LI of A. planirostris. We speculate that these differences represent strategies to increase the contact surface available to optimize nutrient uptake in A. planirostris; while the hematophagous feeding habit of D. ecaudata, predominantly proteinaceous and semifluid, has a gut wall characterized with less morphological complexity and specializations; which confirms our hypothesis. Based on the similarities and differences founded, it can be concluded for both species that the reduction in the anatomical structures, associated with the microscopic findings, allows to optimize the absorption of nutrients and water in these bats when compared to other mammals; a similar pattern to that found in other chiropterans.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"22 1","pages":"435 - 448"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42341533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-04DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.014
Leandra Palheta, G. L. Urbieta, L. Brasil, K. Dias‐Silva, J. B. da Silva, G. Graciolli, L. M. S. Aguiar, T. Vieira
Bats and bat flies are intimately associated and are relevant models to study the effects of anthropogenic impacts when bats are highly distributed in urban environments. The lack of knowledge on bat's responses to the anthropogenic effects as related to their bat flies leads to ineffective conservation strategies. Thus, our goal is to describe the association between bats and bat flies in urban and non-urban environments and measuring how much urbanization can alter the parasite-host associations. We collected bats and bat flies in 11 sites (six urban areas and five non-urban areas) distributed among five municipalities of the state of Pará. To identify a possible pattern on communities, we conducted a Composition Principal Component Analysis and performed a permutational multivariate analysis of variance using distance matrices — PERMANOVA. We captured 513 bats and examined 867 bat flies. Our findings show that bat and bat fly communities of rural environments in the Amazon are more diverse than those from urban environments. Urbanization seems to play an essential role as an environmental filter of bats and bat fly species that are exclusively rural.
{"title":"The Effect of Urbanization on Bats and Communities of Bat Flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) in the Amazon, Northern Brazil","authors":"Leandra Palheta, G. L. Urbieta, L. Brasil, K. Dias‐Silva, J. B. da Silva, G. Graciolli, L. M. S. Aguiar, T. Vieira","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.014","url":null,"abstract":"Bats and bat flies are intimately associated and are relevant models to study the effects of anthropogenic impacts when bats are highly distributed in urban environments. The lack of knowledge on bat's responses to the anthropogenic effects as related to their bat flies leads to ineffective conservation strategies. Thus, our goal is to describe the association between bats and bat flies in urban and non-urban environments and measuring how much urbanization can alter the parasite-host associations. We collected bats and bat flies in 11 sites (six urban areas and five non-urban areas) distributed among five municipalities of the state of Pará. To identify a possible pattern on communities, we conducted a Composition Principal Component Analysis and performed a permutational multivariate analysis of variance using distance matrices — PERMANOVA. We captured 513 bats and examined 867 bat flies. Our findings show that bat and bat fly communities of rural environments in the Amazon are more diverse than those from urban environments. Urbanization seems to play an essential role as an environmental filter of bats and bat fly species that are exclusively rural.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":" 1","pages":"403 - 416"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41254756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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