1
|
Moosman PR, Marsh DM, Pody EK, Brust TJ. Differential selection of roosts by Eastern Small-footed Myotis ( Myotis leibii) relative to rock structure and microclimate. J Mammal 2023; 104:723-738. [PMID: 37545666 PMCID: PMC10399919 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Roost selection by insectivorous bats in temperate regions is presumably influenced by roost microclimates in relation to thermoregulatory strategies, but few studies have included temperature measurements in habitat selection models. Rocky landscape features are an important source of roosts that provide both shelter from predators and beneficial microclimates for bats. Most information about rock-roosting bats has been derived from western North America. We studied microhabitat selection by the Eastern Small-footed Myotis (Myotis leibii) on natural talus slopes and human-made stone structures in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and New Hampshire, relative to thermal and structural characteristics of rock crevices. Roosts were located with a combination of radiotelemetry and randomized visual surveys. Roost-switching behavior and structural characteristics of roosts did not appear to be influenced by the methods we used to locate roosts. Compared to random crevices, both sexes selected crevices with narrow openings, likely to provide protection from predators. Reproductive females also selected rocks that were larger and more thermally stable than random crevices, whereas males selected crevices that were structurally similar to random crevices but warmed more during the day. Rock size and other structural characteristics influenced temperatures of roosts and random crevices alike by inhibiting excessive daytime heating and nighttime cooling. Because large rocks were important for reproductive females, and talus slopes with large rocks could be limited, we recommend including rock size as a variable in landscape scale habitat assessments for Eastern Small-footed Myotis. Protecting or managing for habitat features with large rocks that receive high solar exposure could benefit Eastern Small-footed Myotis, and perhaps other rock-roosting species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul R Moosman
- Department of Biology, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia 24450, USA
| | - David M Marsh
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia 24450, USA
| | - Emily K Pody
- Department of Biology, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia 24450, USA
- EDGE Engineering and Science, LLC, Houston, Texas 77084, USA
| | - Timothy J Brust
- Department of Biology, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia 24450, USA
- EDGE Engineering and Science, LLC, Houston, Texas 77084, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Stapelfeldt B, Tress C, Koch R, Tress J, Kerth G, Scheuerlein A. Long-term field study reveals that warmer summers lead to larger and longer-lived females only in northern populations of Natterer's bats. Oecologia 2023; 201:853-861. [PMID: 36773071 PMCID: PMC10038953 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05318-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Animals often respond to climate change with changes in morphology, e.g., shrinking body size with increasing temperatures, as expected by Bergmann's rule. Because small body size can have fitness costs for individuals, this trend could threaten populations. Recent studies, however, show that morphological responses to climate change and the resulting fitness consequences cannot be generalized even among related species. In this long-term study, we investigate the interaction between ambient temperature, body size and survival probability in a large number of individually marked wild adult female Natterer's bats (Myotis nattereri). We compare populations from two geographical regions in Germany with a different climate. In a sliding window analysis, we found larger body sizes in adult females that were raised in warmer summers only in the northern population, but not in the southern population that experienced an overall warmer climate. With a capture-mark-recapture approach, we showed that larger individuals had higher survival rates, demonstrating that weather conditions in early life could have long-lasting fitness effects. The different responses in body size to warmer temperatures in the two regions highlight that fitness-relevant morphological responses to climate change have to be viewed on a regional scale and may affect local populations differently.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Stapelfeldt
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Christoph Tress
- Fledermausforschungsprojekt Wooster Teerofen e.V., Wooster Teerofen, Germany
| | - Ralf Koch
- Naturpark Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide, Plau am See OT Karow, Germany
| | - Johannes Tress
- Fledermausforschungsprojekt Wooster Teerofen e.V., Wooster Teerofen, Germany
| | - Gerald Kerth
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rolfes JW, Encarnação JA, Becker NI. Going Bald — The Hairy Affair of Timing in Telemetry Studies: Moulting Activity in European Bat Species. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.2.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jon W. Rolfes
- Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jorge A. Encarnação
- Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Nina I. Becker
- Institute for Applied Animal Ecology and Ecoinformatics, Im Brühl 2, 35457 Lollar, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu H, Gong L, Jiang T, Feng J, Lin A. Echolocation call frequencies of bats vary with body temperature and weather conditions. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
5
|
Crawford RD, O'Keefe JM. Avoiding a conservation pitfall: Considering the risks of unsuitably hot bat boxes. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Reed D. Crawford
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Illinois USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Illinois USA
| | - Joy M. O'Keefe
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Illinois USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Illinois USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Liudmila K, Vladimir M, Liudmila C, Vladimir S, Nikolay M. Haematological parameters of pond bats (Myotis dasycneme Boie, 1825 Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in the Ural Mountains. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/21658005.2017.1305153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kovalchuk Liudmila
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, The Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, The Russian Federation
| | - Mishchenko Vladimir
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, The Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, The Russian Federation
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, The Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, The Russian Federation
| | - Chernaya Liudmila
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, The Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, The Russian Federation
| | - Snitko Vladimir
- The Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, The Ilmen State Reserve, Miass, The Russian Federation
| | - Mikshevich Nikolay
- Department of Health and Safety, The Ural State Pedagogical University, Yekaterinburg, The Russian Federation
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Black or white? Physiological implications of roost colour and choice in a microbat. J Therm Biol 2016; 60:162-70. [PMID: 27503729 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Although roost choice in bats has been studied previously, little is known about how opposing roost colours affect the expression of torpor quantitatively. We quantified roost selection and thermoregulation in a captive Australian insectivorous bat, Nyctophilus gouldi (n=12) in winter when roosting in black and white coloured boxes using temperature-telemetry. We quantified how roost choice influences torpor expression when food was provided ad libitum or restricted in bats housed together in an outdoor aviary exposed to natural fluctuations of ambient temperature. Black box temperatures averaged 5.1°C (maximum 7.5°C) warmer than white boxes at their maximum daytime temperature. Bats fed ad libitum chose black boxes on most nights (92.9%) and on 100% of nights when food-restricted. All bats used torpor on all study days. However, bats fed ad libitum and roosting in black boxes used shorter torpor and spent more time normothermic/active at night than food-restricted bats and bats roosting in white boxes. Bats roosting in black boxes also rewarmed passively more often and to a higher skin temperature than those in white boxes. Our study suggests that N. gouldi fed ad libitum select warmer roosts in order to passively rewarm to a higher skin temperature and thus save energy required for active midday rewarming as well as to maintain a normothermic body temperature for longer periods at night. This study shows that colour should be considered when deploying bat boxes; black boxes are preferable for those bats that use passive rewarming, even in winter when food availability is reduced.
Collapse
|
8
|
Nardone V, Cistrone L, Di Salvo I, Ariano A, Migliozzi A, Allegrini C, Ancillotto L, Fulco A, Russo D. How to Be a Male at Different Elevations: Ecology of Intra-Sexual Segregation in the Trawling Bat Myotis daubentonii. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134573. [PMID: 26230548 PMCID: PMC4521842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intra-sexual segregation is a form of social segregation widespread among vertebrates. In the bat Myotis daubentonii, males are disproportionately abundant at higher elevations, while females are restricted to lower altitude. Intra-male segregation is also known to occur yet its ecological and behavioural determinants are unclear. We studied male segregation along a river in Central Italy where we tested the following predictions: 1. Upstream ( > 1000 m a.s.l.) males will rely on scarcer prey; 2. To deal with this limitation and exploit a cooler roosting environment, they will employ more prolonged and deeper torpor than downstream (< 900 m a.s.l.) males; 3. Body condition will be better in downstream males as they forage in more productive areas; 4. To cope with less predictable foraging opportunities, upstream males will use more habitat types. Consistent with our predictions, we found that prey were less common at higher altitudes, where bats exhibited prolonged and deeper torpor. Body condition was better in downstream males than in upstream males but not in all summer months. This result reflected a decrease in downstream males' body condition over the season, perhaps due to the energy costs of reduced opportunities to use torpor and/or intraspecific competition. Downstream males mainly foraged over selected riparian vegetation whereas upstream males used a greater variety of habitats. One controversial issue is whether upstream males are excluded from lower elevations by resident bats. We tested this by translocating 10 upstream males to a downstream roost: eight returned to the high elevation site in 1-2 nights, two persisted at low altitude but did not roost with resident bats. These results are consistent with the idea of segregation due to competition. Living at high altitude allows for more effective heterothermy and may thus be not detrimental for survival, but by staying at lower altitude males increase proximity to females and potentially benefit from summer mating opportunities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Nardone
- Wildlife Research Unit, Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Ivy Di Salvo
- Wildlife Research Unit, Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - Alessandro Ariano
- Wildlife Research Unit, Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonello Migliozzi
- Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - Claudia Allegrini
- Wildlife Research Unit, Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza', Roma, Italy
| | - Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research Unit, Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza', Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Fulco
- Wildlife Research Unit, Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - Danilo Russo
- Wildlife Research Unit, Laboratorio di Ecologia Applicata, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Napoli, Italy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Otto MS, Becker NI, Encarnação JA. Stage of pregnancy dictates heterothermy in temperate forest-dwelling bats. J Therm Biol 2014; 47:75-82. [PMID: 25526657 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Bats face high energetic requirements, as powered flight is costly and they have a disadvantageous surface-to-volume-ratio. To deal with those requirements energy saving mechanisms, such as heterothermy (torpor), have evolved. Torpor during pregnancy, however, reduces rates of foetal development and consequently prolongs pregnancy. Therefore, heterothermy has a great effect on reproduction, as an unhindered parturition can only be assured by high body temperatures. Regardless of these adverse affects of torpor the energetic requirements of bats during reproduction urge for energy savings and bats are known to enter torpor during pregnancy. The species in the current study differ in their torpor patterns and thus their heterothermic strategy. However, we hypothesized, that species-specific heterothermic behaviour should be revoked at the end of pregnancy. We analyzed skin temperatures of Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis nattereri and Plecotus auritus during pregnancy and found no differences in torpor depth between species during the last phase of pregnancy. Furthermore, we could show that individuals entered torpor frequently during pregnancy and only minimized torpor during the last stage of pregnancy. This suggests that close to the end of pregnancy, heterothermy is restricted but not species-specific and the required energy is allocated otherwise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias S Otto
- Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Nina I Becker
- Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Jorge A Encarnação
- Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Affiliation(s)
- C. Stawski
- Institute of Environmental Sciences; Jagiellonian University; Kraków Poland
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology; University of New England; Armidale NSW Australia
| | - C. K. R. Willis
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research; University of Winnipeg; Winnipeg Canada
| | - F. Geiser
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology; University of New England; Armidale NSW Australia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Becker NI, Tschapka M, Kalko EKV, Encarnação JA. Balancing the energy budget in free-ranging male Myotis daubentonii bats. Physiol Biochem Zool 2013; 86:361-9. [PMID: 23629886 DOI: 10.1086/670527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Mammals use five main, mutually nonexclusive mechanisms to balance energy budgets: torpor, metabolic compensation, change in activity patterns, change in ingested energy, and/or variability in digestive efficiency. Bats, as small and actively flying mammals, have a high mass-specific energy demand; therefore, balancing mechanisms should be pronounced in this group. We found that male Myotis daubentonii exhibited marked variation in the relative importance of these different mechanisms during their period of seasonal activity in response to extrinsic (ambient temperature, insect abundance) and intrinsic (reproduction, body condition) factors. Cold ambient temperatures in spring facilitated long and frequent daily torpor bouts, whereas in early summer, increased energy intake was the dominant factor in energy balancing. Intake was further increased in late summer, when insect abundance was highest, and daily torpor bouts were shorter and less frequent than in early summer. In autumn, males used metabolic compensation to reduce their resting metabolic rate in addition to daily torpor. Metabolic compensation might be one of the mechanisms that allow males to maintain high body temperature during the day while decreasing the need for foraging time at night, thus maximizing their opportunities to mate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nina I Becker
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
|