Pub Date : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.007
A. Rathinakumar, Murugavel Baheerathan, B. Caspers, J. Erinjery, P. Kaliraj, Subbian Baskaran, G. Marimuthu
Mate attraction via chemosignalling is common in group-living mammals. In the greater short-nosed fruit bats, Cynopterus sphinx, it remains unclear whether males use chemosignals to attract females. Here, we use field observations to describe patterns of male chemosignalling in this species, then use preference test in captivity to infer the function of chemosignals. We observed that males engage in chemosignalling through wing fanning after marking their leaf ‘tent' roosts with saliva. The male fanned each wing alternatively and vigorously and performed frequent tongue flicks to the wing membrane. Such behaviour is exhibited towards females that returned to the tent. Afterwards, the male embraced the female with both wings. Wing fanning and tent marking occurred more often during the mating season than the non-mating season. To infer the role of chemosignals in recruiting females, we performed two different choice tests. In the first test, we tested whether females preferred the tent containing cotton balls that were rubbed gently and repeatedly on the ventral side of the plagiopatagium of the male, versus a control tent without any conspecific odour. In the second test, we tested whether females preferred a tent that was marked by a male's saliva versus a control tent without such markings. The result of both tests indicated that females recognized the saliva and ‘scent’ from the wings of males, since females always preferred tents with male chemosignals over the controls. Our findings suggest that the recruitment of females and subsequent formation of a harem in the greater short-nosed fruit bats is influenced by male chemosignals.
{"title":"Male Chemical Signalling to Recruit Females in the Greater Short-Nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx","authors":"A. Rathinakumar, Murugavel Baheerathan, B. Caspers, J. Erinjery, P. Kaliraj, Subbian Baskaran, G. Marimuthu","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.007","url":null,"abstract":"Mate attraction via chemosignalling is common in group-living mammals. In the greater short-nosed fruit bats, Cynopterus sphinx, it remains unclear whether males use chemosignals to attract females. Here, we use field observations to describe patterns of male chemosignalling in this species, then use preference test in captivity to infer the function of chemosignals. We observed that males engage in chemosignalling through wing fanning after marking their leaf ‘tent' roosts with saliva. The male fanned each wing alternatively and vigorously and performed frequent tongue flicks to the wing membrane. Such behaviour is exhibited towards females that returned to the tent. Afterwards, the male embraced the female with both wings. Wing fanning and tent marking occurred more often during the mating season than the non-mating season. To infer the role of chemosignals in recruiting females, we performed two different choice tests. In the first test, we tested whether females preferred the tent containing cotton balls that were rubbed gently and repeatedly on the ventral side of the plagiopatagium of the male, versus a control tent without any conspecific odour. In the second test, we tested whether females preferred a tent that was marked by a male's saliva versus a control tent without such markings. The result of both tests indicated that females recognized the saliva and ‘scent’ from the wings of males, since females always preferred tents with male chemosignals over the controls. Our findings suggest that the recruitment of females and subsequent formation of a harem in the greater short-nosed fruit bats is influenced by male chemosignals.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"81 - 92"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41383166","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.016
Jesús R. Hernández‐Montero, Michelle Adam, G. Kerth
The availability of suitable roosts is an important factor affecting the viability of bat populations. In Europe and North-America, the installation of artificial roosts is a standard conservation measure to mitigate the loss of tree cavities or crevices at buildings. How quickly artificial roosts, such as bat boxes, are adopted, depends on how easily the bats can find them, and on their suitability for roosting. While there is some information about how the design of bat boxes influences their occupancy, it is unknown to what extent the use of bat boxes depends on their detectability. In this experimental field study, we studied the roost selection behavior of three forest-living bat species. We investigated whether attaching an external echo-reflector to bat boxes influenced the time until the bats discover a box or the total number of discovered boxes, which are proxies for detectability. We also assessed whether this modification improved the occupancy of newly placed boxes, as a proxy for their attractiveness. As a result of a previous study, all studied bat colonies were familiar with the echo-reflector as an indicator for the suitability of bat boxes as a day roost. For each species, we compared between boxes with and without an echo-reflector, the number of boxes discovered, the number of days elapsed until discovery, the number of subsequent visits, and the number of days that each box type was used as day roosts. Myotis bechsteinii and Myotis nattereri discovered, visited and used more unmodified boxes than boxes with echo-reflectors. Plecotus auritus did not show differences in behavior with regard to the box types. Our results show that attaching an echo-reflector to newly placed artificial roosts does not improve their discovery and subsequent occupation, even when bats are already familiar with this cue as an indicator of suitability. We discuss the implication of our findings for bat conservation.
{"title":"Are Echo-Reflective Cues Effective to Attract Bats to Newly Placed Artificial Roosts?","authors":"Jesús R. Hernández‐Montero, Michelle Adam, G. Kerth","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.016","url":null,"abstract":"The availability of suitable roosts is an important factor affecting the viability of bat populations. In Europe and North-America, the installation of artificial roosts is a standard conservation measure to mitigate the loss of tree cavities or crevices at buildings. How quickly artificial roosts, such as bat boxes, are adopted, depends on how easily the bats can find them, and on their suitability for roosting. While there is some information about how the design of bat boxes influences their occupancy, it is unknown to what extent the use of bat boxes depends on their detectability. In this experimental field study, we studied the roost selection behavior of three forest-living bat species. We investigated whether attaching an external echo-reflector to bat boxes influenced the time until the bats discover a box or the total number of discovered boxes, which are proxies for detectability. We also assessed whether this modification improved the occupancy of newly placed boxes, as a proxy for their attractiveness. As a result of a previous study, all studied bat colonies were familiar with the echo-reflector as an indicator for the suitability of bat boxes as a day roost. For each species, we compared between boxes with and without an echo-reflector, the number of boxes discovered, the number of days elapsed until discovery, the number of subsequent visits, and the number of days that each box type was used as day roosts. Myotis bechsteinii and Myotis nattereri discovered, visited and used more unmodified boxes than boxes with echo-reflectors. Plecotus auritus did not show differences in behavior with regard to the box types. Our results show that attaching an echo-reflector to newly placed artificial roosts does not improve their discovery and subsequent occupation, even when bats are already familiar with this cue as an indicator of suitability. We discuss the implication of our findings for bat conservation.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"316 ","pages":"199 - 205"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41311872","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.005
Jorge Rivero-Monteagudo, Juan J. Pellón, Marta Williams
Short-tailed fruit bats typically breed twice a year, fitting a seasonal bimodal polyestry pattern in many ecosystems along their distributional range. For two species, Carollia perspicillata and C. benkeithi, reproductive timing was studied on a monthly basis and related to environmental seasonality (climatic factors and fruit resource availability) in a Peruvian premontane forest with a secondary succession plant composition. Sex, age and reproductive condition were assessed through morphological inspection. Plant species, whose fruits were known to be consumed by these bats, were scored for fruit resource availability. For C. perspicillata, lactation followed a bimodal pattern with peaks at the onset (September–October) and the middle of the rainy season (February–March). The proportion of lactating females was positively correlated with rainfall, temperature and fruit resource availability. In contrast, reproductive males, as indicated by descended testes, occurred during the dry season and its proportion was negatively correlated with rainfall. For C. benkeithi, records of reproductive females suggest that births also occur during the rainy season. This study supports the previously suggested synchronization of births with higher fruit resource availability for Carollia species, and contributes with information about the geographic variation of their reproductive phenology.
{"title":"Environmental Seasonality Explains Reproductive Timing of Short-Tailed Fruit Bats in a Premontane Forest of Central Peru","authors":"Jorge Rivero-Monteagudo, Juan J. Pellón, Marta Williams","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.005","url":null,"abstract":"Short-tailed fruit bats typically breed twice a year, fitting a seasonal bimodal polyestry pattern in many ecosystems along their distributional range. For two species, Carollia perspicillata and C. benkeithi, reproductive timing was studied on a monthly basis and related to environmental seasonality (climatic factors and fruit resource availability) in a Peruvian premontane forest with a secondary succession plant composition. Sex, age and reproductive condition were assessed through morphological inspection. Plant species, whose fruits were known to be consumed by these bats, were scored for fruit resource availability. For C. perspicillata, lactation followed a bimodal pattern with peaks at the onset (September–October) and the middle of the rainy season (February–March). The proportion of lactating females was positively correlated with rainfall, temperature and fruit resource availability. In contrast, reproductive males, as indicated by descended testes, occurred during the dry season and its proportion was negatively correlated with rainfall. For C. benkeithi, records of reproductive females suggest that births also occur during the rainy season. This study supports the previously suggested synchronization of births with higher fruit resource availability for Carollia species, and contributes with information about the geographic variation of their reproductive phenology.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"59 - 69"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45733258","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.014
Annia Rodríguez-San Pedro, Felipe Avila, Pascal N. Chaperon, Clemente Beltrán, J. L. Allendes, A. Grez
Conversion of natural land covers to agriculture is a major cause of the global biodiversity decline. Bats are an important component of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes because they provide pest control services. Although management recommendations towards the enhancement of insectivorous bat populations in agro-ecosystems have previously been highlighted, little information is available for promoting bat conservation within viticultural landscapes. In the present study, we examined the role of the adjacent habitat on bat activity in vineyards of central Chile. We also evaluated differences in bat activity between the edges and the interiors of the vineyards in relation to the type of adjacent habitat. To accomplish this, we conducted acoustic surveys along edge and the interior of 16 vineyards bordering different adjacent habitats. Overall bat activity in vineyards was not influenced by the adjacent habitat type, but it was by the location within the vineyard; edges showed significant higher activity than the interior of the vineyards. Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation showed the highest levels of activity for Lasiurus varius, Lasiurus villosissimus and Myotis chiloensis compared to those adjacent to monoculture or urban areas. All bat species were most active at the edges of the vineyards as compared to the interior, which increase the probability of this group providing ecosystem services in vineyards. Therefore, vineyard edges, in particular those adjacent to native vegetation, should be considered as part of agricultural management in order to promote bat diversity and abundance in this crop.
{"title":"The Role of the Adjacent Habitat on Promoting Bat Activity in Vineyards: A Case Study from Central Chile","authors":"Annia Rodríguez-San Pedro, Felipe Avila, Pascal N. Chaperon, Clemente Beltrán, J. L. Allendes, A. Grez","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.014","url":null,"abstract":"Conversion of natural land covers to agriculture is a major cause of the global biodiversity decline. Bats are an important component of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes because they provide pest control services. Although management recommendations towards the enhancement of insectivorous bat populations in agro-ecosystems have previously been highlighted, little information is available for promoting bat conservation within viticultural landscapes. In the present study, we examined the role of the adjacent habitat on bat activity in vineyards of central Chile. We also evaluated differences in bat activity between the edges and the interiors of the vineyards in relation to the type of adjacent habitat. To accomplish this, we conducted acoustic surveys along edge and the interior of 16 vineyards bordering different adjacent habitats. Overall bat activity in vineyards was not influenced by the adjacent habitat type, but it was by the location within the vineyard; edges showed significant higher activity than the interior of the vineyards. Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation showed the highest levels of activity for Lasiurus varius, Lasiurus villosissimus and Myotis chiloensis compared to those adjacent to monoculture or urban areas. All bat species were most active at the edges of the vineyards as compared to the interior, which increase the probability of this group providing ecosystem services in vineyards. Therefore, vineyard edges, in particular those adjacent to native vegetation, should be considered as part of agricultural management in order to promote bat diversity and abundance in this crop.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"177 - 187"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45214489","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.002
T. Demos, S. Goodman, Bruce D. Patterson
Nycteris madagascariensis is an enigmatic bat species, described as endemic to Madagascar and known only from two century-old specimens. Vigorous recent efforts to document this species on the island have proven unsuccessful. We extracted DNA from the fluid-preserved paratype of this taxon and used high-throughput sequencing methods to recover cytochrome b sequence data, which was overlaid on an extensive phylogeny of Afrotropical Nycteris. We also analyzed craniodental measurements of both Malagasy and Afrotropical Nycteris using principal components analysis and one-way ANOVAs. Both genetic and morphological analyses unequivocally place N. madagascariensis in a clade otherwise known only from eastern and coastal Kenya. Review of the collector's notes and itinerary raises doubts on the accuracy of its having originated in Madagascar; the hypodigm was probably collected during his travels in coastal East Africa. We therefore place Nycteris madagascariensis G. Grandidier, 1937 in the synonymy of N. macrotis sensu lato and remove this species from the bat fauna of Madagascar.
Nycteris Madagascar是一种神秘的蝙蝠物种，被描述为马达加斯加特有的物种，仅从两个世纪前的标本中得知。最近在岛上记录这一物种的努力被证明是不成功的。我们从该分类单元的液体保存的准型中提取DNA，并使用高通量测序方法恢复细胞色素b序列数据，这些数据覆盖在非洲热带Nycteris的广泛系统发育上。我们还使用主成分分析和单因素方差分析分析了马达加斯加和非洲热带夜蛾的颅齿测量值。遗传和形态学分析都明确地将马达加斯加人归入一个只在肯尼亚东部和沿海地区发现的分支。对收集者的记录和行程的审查使人怀疑它是否起源于马达加斯加;假牙可能是他在东非沿海旅行时收集的。因此，我们将Nycteris Madagascar G. granddier, 1937置于N. macrotis sensu lato的同义词中，并将该物种从马达加斯加的蝙蝠动物群中移除。
{"title":"The Status of Nycteris madagascariensis G. Grandidier, 1937, a Reputed Endemic to Madagascar","authors":"T. Demos, S. Goodman, Bruce D. Patterson","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.002","url":null,"abstract":"Nycteris madagascariensis is an enigmatic bat species, described as endemic to Madagascar and known only from two century-old specimens. Vigorous recent efforts to document this species on the island have proven unsuccessful. We extracted DNA from the fluid-preserved paratype of this taxon and used high-throughput sequencing methods to recover cytochrome b sequence data, which was overlaid on an extensive phylogeny of Afrotropical Nycteris. We also analyzed craniodental measurements of both Malagasy and Afrotropical Nycteris using principal components analysis and one-way ANOVAs. Both genetic and morphological analyses unequivocally place N. madagascariensis in a clade otherwise known only from eastern and coastal Kenya. Review of the collector's notes and itinerary raises doubts on the accuracy of its having originated in Madagascar; the hypodigm was probably collected during his travels in coastal East Africa. We therefore place Nycteris madagascariensis G. Grandidier, 1937 in the synonymy of N. macrotis sensu lato and remove this species from the bat fauna of Madagascar.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"21 - 32"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46816086","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.006
Nivaldo B. de Lima Junior, I. M. Ferreira de Melo, Fabricya R. da Silva, E. A. Antonio, F. C. A. de Aguiar Júnior, K. R. P. Dos Santos, V. W. Teixeira, Á. Teixeira
In this study, reproductive stages and ovarian histophysiology were investigated in adult female Artibeus planirostris in the municipality of Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. They were captured over one night each month (November 2016 to November 2017). Based on the monthly average precipitation, the dry (September to February) and rainy (March to August) months were grouped. Through external body morphology, females were classified as inactive, pregnant, lactating, and post-lactating. Only the inactive (n = 13) were euthanized for morphophysiological analyzes. Blood samples were obtained for estrogen measurement and, after euthanasia, the ovaries were collected and processed by routine histological techniques. In morphometry, were considered: the area of the ovary, the presence, and the area of the ovarian follicles (unilaminar and multilaminar primary, antral, and Graafian), as well as the quantification of the corpus luteum. In immunohistochemistry, PCNA (Proliferating cell nuclear antigen) was used. The results showed pregnant females only in dry months, however inactive, lactating, and post-lactating females were collected in dry and rainy months. Estrogen levels and the presence of positive PCNA cells were higher in the rainy months. The Graafian follicle occurred only in these months, whereas the corpus luteum was found in all specimens from the dry months. Although A. planirostris has a tendency to start gestation in dry months and mating from mid to the end of the rainy months, this species showed adaptability influenced by environmental variations throughout the reproductive cycle, indicating a aseasonal polyestry.
{"title":"Reproductive Stages and Ovarian Histophysiology in Artibeus planirostris (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in the Dry and Rainy Months in a Municipality of the Mesoregion of the Mata Pernambucana, Northeastern Brazil","authors":"Nivaldo B. de Lima Junior, I. M. Ferreira de Melo, Fabricya R. da Silva, E. A. Antonio, F. C. A. de Aguiar Júnior, K. R. P. Dos Santos, V. W. Teixeira, Á. Teixeira","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.006","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, reproductive stages and ovarian histophysiology were investigated in adult female Artibeus planirostris in the municipality of Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. They were captured over one night each month (November 2016 to November 2017). Based on the monthly average precipitation, the dry (September to February) and rainy (March to August) months were grouped. Through external body morphology, females were classified as inactive, pregnant, lactating, and post-lactating. Only the inactive (n = 13) were euthanized for morphophysiological analyzes. Blood samples were obtained for estrogen measurement and, after euthanasia, the ovaries were collected and processed by routine histological techniques. In morphometry, were considered: the area of the ovary, the presence, and the area of the ovarian follicles (unilaminar and multilaminar primary, antral, and Graafian), as well as the quantification of the corpus luteum. In immunohistochemistry, PCNA (Proliferating cell nuclear antigen) was used. The results showed pregnant females only in dry months, however inactive, lactating, and post-lactating females were collected in dry and rainy months. Estrogen levels and the presence of positive PCNA cells were higher in the rainy months. The Graafian follicle occurred only in these months, whereas the corpus luteum was found in all specimens from the dry months. Although A. planirostris has a tendency to start gestation in dry months and mating from mid to the end of the rainy months, this species showed adaptability influenced by environmental variations throughout the reproductive cycle, indicating a aseasonal polyestry.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"71 - 79"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45507465","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.015
Fabien Claireau, C. Kerbiriou, Flavien Charton, Cedric De Almeida Braga, Thibaut Ferraille, J. Julien, N. Machon, B. Allegrini, S. Puechmaille, Y. Bas
Roads have a multitude of negative effects on wildlife, including bat casualties. Most bat species rely on life history traits characterised by high adult survival (associated with greater longevity) and low reproduction rates (hence slow population growth rates). Therefore, road kills are expected to negatively affect local abundance and bat population dynamics. Bat overpasses are among the proposed improvements intended to increase bat flight height to reduce collisions, but their effectiveness has rarely been tested. In this study, we performed a before-after analysis to assess the effectiveness of one bat overpass on bat flight height. We used a novel approach, the bat tracking toolbox (BTT), to reconstruct bat flight paths from thermal videos. We obtained 268 bat flight paths and our results showed that the flight height of bats increased significantly after the installation of the bat overpass. Considering that bat overpasses can help in some situations to increase habitat connectivity and reduce the collision risk, this mitigation measure needs to be further investigated in different contexts of road construction and/or road requalification.
{"title":"Bat Overpasses Help Bats to Cross Roads Safely by Increasing Their Flight Height","authors":"Fabien Claireau, C. Kerbiriou, Flavien Charton, Cedric De Almeida Braga, Thibaut Ferraille, J. Julien, N. Machon, B. Allegrini, S. Puechmaille, Y. Bas","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.015","url":null,"abstract":"Roads have a multitude of negative effects on wildlife, including bat casualties. Most bat species rely on life history traits characterised by high adult survival (associated with greater longevity) and low reproduction rates (hence slow population growth rates). Therefore, road kills are expected to negatively affect local abundance and bat population dynamics. Bat overpasses are among the proposed improvements intended to increase bat flight height to reduce collisions, but their effectiveness has rarely been tested. In this study, we performed a before-after analysis to assess the effectiveness of one bat overpass on bat flight height. We used a novel approach, the bat tracking toolbox (BTT), to reconstruct bat flight paths from thermal videos. We obtained 268 bat flight paths and our results showed that the flight height of bats increased significantly after the installation of the bat overpass. Considering that bat overpasses can help in some situations to increase habitat connectivity and reduce the collision risk, this mitigation measure needs to be further investigated in different contexts of road construction and/or road requalification.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"189 - 198"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42348805","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.018
Melissa E. Rodríguez, Luis Girón-Galván, David Villalobos-Chaves, B. Rodríguez‐Herrera
Neotropical tent roosting bats are in the family Phyllostomidae, in which Artibeus watsoni uses the greatest diversity of plants as a roost. Currently, eight styles of tents are known, and their descriptions are based on leaf size, shape, and the number of cuts needed to create it. Here, we describe the preference for the construction, tent design, and occupation of palmate umbrella tents that A. watsoni built in two sympatric Carludovica species in a Costa Rican tropical rainforest. We predicted a preference by A. watsoni to build tents between the sympatric Carludovica species due to leaf differences or other variables of selection. We also explored the spatial distribution of multiple tent designs. Ten rectangular plots (500 × 20 m) were established, and we counted the number of plants, leaves, and tents of each plant species, as well as to explored the spatial distribution of the tent designs. We found a total of 1787 plants (9222 leaves) of C. drudei and 640 plants (3732 leaves) of C. rotundifolia. The proportion of tents per leaf in each plant species was significantly higher in C. drudei than in C. rotundifolia, and those differences were significant (Z = -2.83, d.f. = 4, P < 0.01). We described six tent designs for the umbrella architecture (semicircle, combined, heart, triangle, spatula, and partial). The abundance of these designs varied significantly between the Carludovica species. Our results suggest that A. watsoni exhibits a preference among sympatric plants of the same genus. However, this is a complex and dynamic process that depends on multiple variables. This is the first study systematically describing the tent designs that A. watsoni creates within the palmate umbrella tents. These findings contribute to the knowledge of tent roosting bats in the Neotropics and provide more insight into the complexity of their behavior.
{"title":"Preference and Design Variability on Umbrella Tents Built by Artibeus watsoni on Two Sympatric Carludovica Species (Cyclanthaceae) in Costa Rica","authors":"Melissa E. Rodríguez, Luis Girón-Galván, David Villalobos-Chaves, B. Rodríguez‐Herrera","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.018","url":null,"abstract":"Neotropical tent roosting bats are in the family Phyllostomidae, in which Artibeus watsoni uses the greatest diversity of plants as a roost. Currently, eight styles of tents are known, and their descriptions are based on leaf size, shape, and the number of cuts needed to create it. Here, we describe the preference for the construction, tent design, and occupation of palmate umbrella tents that A. watsoni built in two sympatric Carludovica species in a Costa Rican tropical rainforest. We predicted a preference by A. watsoni to build tents between the sympatric Carludovica species due to leaf differences or other variables of selection. We also explored the spatial distribution of multiple tent designs. Ten rectangular plots (500 × 20 m) were established, and we counted the number of plants, leaves, and tents of each plant species, as well as to explored the spatial distribution of the tent designs. We found a total of 1787 plants (9222 leaves) of C. drudei and 640 plants (3732 leaves) of C. rotundifolia. The proportion of tents per leaf in each plant species was significantly higher in C. drudei than in C. rotundifolia, and those differences were significant (Z = -2.83, d.f. = 4, P < 0.01). We described six tent designs for the umbrella architecture (semicircle, combined, heart, triangle, spatula, and partial). The abundance of these designs varied significantly between the Carludovica species. Our results suggest that A. watsoni exhibits a preference among sympatric plants of the same genus. However, this is a complex and dynamic process that depends on multiple variables. This is the first study systematically describing the tent designs that A. watsoni creates within the palmate umbrella tents. These findings contribute to the knowledge of tent roosting bats in the Neotropics and provide more insight into the complexity of their behavior.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"215 - 233"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45778583","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.013
T. Dendup, Pipat Soisook, S. Bumrungsri
The alteration of landscape by anthropogenic activity has reduced the foraging habitats of insectivorous bats. Thus it is important to understand the habitat selections of insectivorous bats and patterns of prey availability, especially in human-altered environments. We investigated bat activity in five classified habitats, namely: old-growth forest, remnant forest, citrus orchard, cornfield and paddy field in the forest-dominated Himalayan country of Bhutan. We monitored bat activity acoustically across 120 sites from May to November 2018. Thirteen different taxa and one unknown QCF bat were identified from 2,558 bat passes. Overall bat activity was dominated by open-space foragers such as Scotophilus kuhlii, Taphozous sp., Otomops wroughtoni and Nyctalus leisleri, showing comparative variations in habitat selection. But, Rhinolophus specifically, R. luctus was rarely present in open habitats such as cornfield and paddy fields, and was found to be one of the most abundant species in cluttered habitats, e.g., old-growth forest and remnant forest. Bat activity was higher in old-growth forest compared to paddy and remnant forest, but was not significantly different from cornfield and citrus orchard. Insect biomass positively correlated with bat activity. Our findings suggest that the habitat selection of insectivorous bats is influenced by prey abundance and habitat types. Although remnant forest was poorly associated with insect prey, the species richness of bats found there was almost equal to that of old-growth forest. Thus, remnant forest was found to be an important habitat, apparently serving as a corridor for the narrow-space foragers in the study landscape in Bhutan.
{"title":"Habitat Selections of Himalayan Insectivorous Bats in Forest-Dominated Landscapes","authors":"T. Dendup, Pipat Soisook, S. Bumrungsri","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.013","url":null,"abstract":"The alteration of landscape by anthropogenic activity has reduced the foraging habitats of insectivorous bats. Thus it is important to understand the habitat selections of insectivorous bats and patterns of prey availability, especially in human-altered environments. We investigated bat activity in five classified habitats, namely: old-growth forest, remnant forest, citrus orchard, cornfield and paddy field in the forest-dominated Himalayan country of Bhutan. We monitored bat activity acoustically across 120 sites from May to November 2018. Thirteen different taxa and one unknown QCF bat were identified from 2,558 bat passes. Overall bat activity was dominated by open-space foragers such as Scotophilus kuhlii, Taphozous sp., Otomops wroughtoni and Nyctalus leisleri, showing comparative variations in habitat selection. But, Rhinolophus specifically, R. luctus was rarely present in open habitats such as cornfield and paddy fields, and was found to be one of the most abundant species in cluttered habitats, e.g., old-growth forest and remnant forest. Bat activity was higher in old-growth forest compared to paddy and remnant forest, but was not significantly different from cornfield and citrus orchard. Insect biomass positively correlated with bat activity. Our findings suggest that the habitat selection of insectivorous bats is influenced by prey abundance and habitat types. Although remnant forest was poorly associated with insect prey, the species richness of bats found there was almost equal to that of old-growth forest. Thus, remnant forest was found to be an important habitat, apparently serving as a corridor for the narrow-space foragers in the study landscape in Bhutan.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"165 - 176"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44279451","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 : 2021-07-09DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.019
G. Apoznański, T. Kokurewicz, Stefan Petterson, S. Sánchez-Navarro, M. Górska, J. Rydell
Extensive areas of old forests have declined all over the temperate regions of Europe mainly due to extensive forestry. This is likely to have negative impact on bats that roost in trees, such as the western barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus. We investigated its selection of summer roosts in a commercially used landscape in southern Sweden. We captured and radio-tracked 14 bats and found 17 occupied roosts. Nine of the roosts, including two used by a maternity colony (ca. 30 females), were located between overlapping boards on the gables of barns. The remaining eight roosts, all used by single individuals, were under lose bark on thin trees (DBH = 0.2–0.35 m). All recorded roosts had entrances pointing downwards, were adjacent to deciduous trees providing protective darkness, and were in areas without artificial lighting. In the barns, the bats avoided the northern aspect, which is the lightest (sun sets in the NW and rises in the NE). Roost temperatures did not differ between tree- and barn roosts. Average ambient light intensity on emergence and return was 13.3 lux (SD = 10.1 lux). Roosts in trees and barns shared common physical characteristics, yet despite this both maternity roosts were located in barns, perhaps because such roosts had more space than available tree roosts. Our results suggest that in areas deprived of large trees and extensive old forest, barbastelle shows flexibility in roost selection, although they consistently avoid artificial lights of all kinds. An abundance of potential roosts in trees and buildings and absence of light pollution are therefore key elements in a holistic conservation program for this species.
{"title":"Barbastelles in a Production Landscape: Where Do They Roost?","authors":"G. Apoznański, T. Kokurewicz, Stefan Petterson, S. Sánchez-Navarro, M. Górska, J. Rydell","doi":"10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.019","url":null,"abstract":"Extensive areas of old forests have declined all over the temperate regions of Europe mainly due to extensive forestry. This is likely to have negative impact on bats that roost in trees, such as the western barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus. We investigated its selection of summer roosts in a commercially used landscape in southern Sweden. We captured and radio-tracked 14 bats and found 17 occupied roosts. Nine of the roosts, including two used by a maternity colony (ca. 30 females), were located between overlapping boards on the gables of barns. The remaining eight roosts, all used by single individuals, were under lose bark on thin trees (DBH = 0.2–0.35 m). All recorded roosts had entrances pointing downwards, were adjacent to deciduous trees providing protective darkness, and were in areas without artificial lighting. In the barns, the bats avoided the northern aspect, which is the lightest (sun sets in the NW and rises in the NE). Roost temperatures did not differ between tree- and barn roosts. Average ambient light intensity on emergence and return was 13.3 lux (SD = 10.1 lux). Roosts in trees and barns shared common physical characteristics, yet despite this both maternity roosts were located in barns, perhaps because such roosts had more space than available tree roosts. Our results suggest that in areas deprived of large trees and extensive old forest, barbastelle shows flexibility in roost selection, although they consistently avoid artificial lights of all kinds. An abundance of potential roosts in trees and buildings and absence of light pollution are therefore key elements in a holistic conservation program for this species.","PeriodicalId":50904,"journal":{"name":"Acta Chiropterologica","volume":"23 1","pages":"225 - 232"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49563116","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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