Prey choice of the common vampire bat on introduced species in an Atlantic forest land-bridge island

AbstractThe proliferation of native, alien, invasive and domestic species provide novel and abundant food resources for the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) that could alter its prey preference. Based on the analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, we report the prey choice of D. rotundus on introduced mammals in an tropical land-bridge island where the domestic animals were removed and 100 individuals of 15 mammal species were intentionally introduced. Our analysis shows that, D. rotundus on Anchieta Island were more likely to prey upon species from open habitats (mean value of −14.8‰), i.e., animals with high δ13C values characterized by the consumption of C4 resources. As expected for a top predator species, δ15N values for D. rotundus were higher (mean value of 8.2‰) and overlapped the niche of the capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) from the Anchieta Island, while it was distant from coatis, and also from those potential prey from the preserved area in the mainland, including the capybaras, indicating that among all potential mammalian prey species, they fed exclusively on capybaras, the highest mammalian biomass on island. Based on previous information on human occupation, the domestic animals present on Anchieta island might be the main prey of D. rotundus and responsible for maintaining a viable population. As the capybaras were introduced only 36 years ago, this suggests a rapid prey shift due to anthropogenic disturbances, which has allowed common vampire bats to successfully exploit them. Literature records also show that common vampire bats were not captured in preserved areas of the mainland which are near Anchieta Island indicating that the percentage of capture of D. rotundus is usually low in natural forested habitats where potential prey are scattered. As three individuals of introduced capybaras were confirmed died from bat rabies viruses (RABV) in 2020, we suggest periodic monitoring of bat rabies viruses in common vampire bat populations on Anchieta Island and areas nearby, in order to quantify the magnitude of the outbreak area and develop strategies for controlling, especially considering that the island and areas nearby is frequently visited by tourists. We highlighted that this prey choice is context-dependent, and possibly influenced by the removal of domestic animals, the explosive population growth of introduced capybaras combined with their predictable foraging behavior.

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Prey Choice of Introduced Species by the Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus) on an Atlantic Forest Land-Bridge Island

Acta Chiropterologica ◽

10.3161/15081109acc2020.22.1.015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 167

Author(s):

Fernando Gonçalves ◽

Marcelo Magioli ◽

Ricardo S. Bovendorp ◽

Katia M. P. M. B. Ferraz ◽

Letícia Bulascoschi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Introduced Species ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Prey Choice ◽

Forest Land ◽

Land Bridge ◽

Desmodus Rotundus ◽

The Common ◽

Vampire Bat

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Serological Surveillance of Rabies in Free-Range and Captive Common Vampire Bats Desmodus rotundus

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2021.681423 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Jane Megid ◽

Julio Andre Benavides Tala ◽

Laís Dário Belaz Silva ◽

Fernando Favian Castro Castro ◽

Bruna Letícia Devidé Ribeiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Populations ◽

Desmodus Rotundus ◽

Vampire Bats ◽

In Captivity ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Serological Surveillance ◽

At Risk Populations ◽

Bat Rabies ◽

Fluorescent Focus ◽

Vampire Bat

The control of vampire bat rabies (VBR) in Brazil is based on the culling of Desmodus rotundus and the surveillance of outbreaks caused by D. rotundus in cattle and humans in addition to vaccination of susceptible livestock. The detection of anti-rabies antibodies in vampire bats indicates exposure to the rabies virus, and several studies have reported an increase of these antibodies following experimental infection. However, the dynamics of anti-rabies antibodies in natural populations of D. rotundus remains poorly understood. In this study, we took advantage of recent outbreaks of VBR among livestock in the Sao Paulo region of Brazil to test whether seroprevalence in D. rotundus reflects the incidence of rabies in nearby livestock populations. Sixty-four D. rotundus were captured during and after outbreaks from roost located in municipalities belonging to three regions with different incidences of rabies in herbivores. Sixteen seropositive bats were then kept in captivity for up to 120 days, and their antibodies and virus levels were quantified at different time points using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). Antibody titers were associated with the occurrence of ongoing outbreak, with a higher proportion of bats showing titer >0.5 IU/ml in the region with a recent outbreak. However, low titers were still detected in bats from regions reporting the last outbreak of rabies at least 3 years prior to sampling. This study suggests that serological surveillance of rabies in vampire bats can be used as a tool to evaluate risk of outbreaks in at risk populations of cattle and human.

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Gene losses in the common vampire bat illuminate molecular adaptations to blood feeding

10.1101/2021.10.18.462363 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Moritz Blumer ◽

Tom Brown ◽

Mariella Bontempo Freitas ◽

Ana Luiza Destro ◽

Juraci A. Oliveira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Blood Feeding ◽

Dietary Specialization ◽

Genomic Changes ◽

Gastric Physiology ◽

Vampire Bats ◽

Reference Quality ◽

The Common ◽

Metabolizing Enzyme ◽

Vampire Bat

Feeding exclusively on blood, vampire bats represent the only obligate sanguivorous lineage among mammals. To uncover genomic changes associated with adaptations to this unique dietary specialization, we generated a new haplotype-resolved reference-quality genome of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) and screened 26 bat species for genes that were specifically lost in the vampire bat lineage. We discovered previously-unknown gene losses that relate to metabolic and physiological changes, such as reduced insulin secretion (FFAR1, SLC30A8), limited glycogen stores (PPP1R3E), and a distinct gastric physiology (CTSE). Other gene losses likely reflect the biased nutrient composition (ERN2, CTRL) and distinct pathogen diversity of blood (RNASE7). Interestingly, the loss of REP15 likely helped vampire bats to adapt to high dietary iron levels by enhancing iron excretion and the loss of the 24S-hydroxycholesterol metabolizing enzyme CYP39A1 could contribute to their exceptional cognitive abilities. Finally, losses of key cone phototransduction genes (PDE6H, PDE6C) suggest that these strictly-nocturnal bats completely lack cone-based vision. These findings enhance our understanding of vampire bat biology and the genomic underpinnings of adaptations to sanguivory.

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The emergence of vampire bat rabies in Uruguay within a historical context

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268819000682 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 147 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

G. Botto Nuñez ◽

D. J. Becker ◽

R. K. Plowright

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Historical Context ◽

Historical Analysis ◽

Statistical Modelling ◽

Historical Records ◽

Vampire Bats ◽

Alternative Hypotheses ◽

Virus Emergence ◽

Bat Rabies ◽

Vampire Bat

AbstractPathogen spillover from wildlife to humans or domestic animals requires a series of conditions to align with space and time. Comparing these conditions between times and locations where spillover does and does not occur presents opportunities to understand the factors that shape spillover risk. Bovine rabies transmitted by vampire bats was first confirmed in 1911 and has since been detected across the distribution of vampire bats. However, Uruguay is an exception. Uruguay was free of bovine rabies until 2007, despite high-cattle densities, the presence of vampire bats and a strong surveillance system. To explore why Uruguay was free of bovine rabies until recently, we review the historic literature and reconstruct the conditions that would allow rabies invasion into Uruguay. We used available historical records on the abundance of livestock and wildlife, the vampire bat distribution and occurrence of rabies outbreaks, as well as environmental modifications, to propose four alternative hypotheses to explain rabies virus emergence and spillover: bat movement, viral invasion, surveillance failure and environmental changes. While future statistical modelling efforts will be required to disentangle these hypotheses, we here show how a detailed historical analysis can be used to generate testable predictions for the conditions leading to pathogen spillover.

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Non-kin adoption in the common vampire bat

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.201927 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Imran Razik ◽

Bridget K. G. Brown ◽

Rachel A. Page ◽

Gerald G. Carter

Keyword(s):

Alloparental Care ◽

Adaptive Traits ◽

Cooperative Interactions ◽

Before And After ◽

Vampire Bats ◽

In Captivity ◽

History Of ◽

The Common ◽

Group Member ◽

Vampire Bat

Individual animals across many different species occasionally ‘adopt’ unrelated, orphaned offspring. Although adoption may be best explained as a by-product of adaptive traits that enhance parental care or promote the development of parental skills, one factor that is possibly important for the likelihood of adoption is the history of cooperative interactions between the mother, adopted offspring and adopter. Using 652 h of behavioural samples collected over four months, we describe patterns of allogrooming and food sharing before and after an instance of non-kin adoption between two adult female common vampire bats ( Desmodus rotundus ) that were captured from distant sites (340 km apart) and introduced to one another in captivity. The first female died from an illness 19 days after giving birth. The second female groomed and regurgitated food to the mother more often than any other group member, then groomed, nursed and regurgitated food to the orphaned, female pup. The substantial increase in alloparental care by this female after the mother's death was not observed among the 20 other adult females that were present in the colony. Our findings corroborate previous reports of non-kin adoption in common vampire bats and are consistent with the hypothesis that non-kin adoption can be motivated, in part, by a history of cooperative interactions.

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Bats, Rabies and Control Problems

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605300006657 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 263-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Arthur M. Greenhall

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Domestic Animals ◽

Control Measures ◽

Control Problems ◽

Vampire Bats ◽

The Usa ◽

And Control ◽

North And South America ◽

North And South ◽

Vampire Bat

In both North and South America rabies is carried by bats, especially the vampire bats in the warmer central countries. Every country in the two continents, with only three exceptions, and every state in the USA, with only two exceptions, has reported rabid bats. As rabies is fatal to both humans and domestic animals control measures are essential. The author, who was for many years in charge of vampire-bat control in Trinidad, where in the ten years up to 1935, 89 humans and thousands of cattle died of paralytic rabies, emphasises that bats are beneficial animals and that control must be aimed, not at indiscriminate destruction of bats, but to regulate the population levels, and that care must be taken not to involve other species.

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Dynamics of Rabies Epidemics in Vampire Bats

Complexity ◽

10.1155/2020/7032451 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Liang Tian ◽

Juping Zhang

Keyword(s):

Numerical Simulation ◽

Mathematical Model ◽

Theoretical Basis ◽

Asymptotically Stable ◽

Globally Asymptotically Stable ◽

Vampire Bats ◽

Bat Rabies ◽

Vampire Bat ◽

Theoretical Results ◽

Disease Free

In order to study the transmission of rabies epidemics in vampire bats, we propose a mathematical model for vampire bat rabies virus. A threshold R0 is identified which determines the outcome of the disease. If R0<1, the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable, and if R0>1, the endemic equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable with certain conditions. Through the numerical simulation, the correctness of the theoretical results is verified. We carry out the sensitivity analysis of the parameters which provide a theoretical basis for preventing and controlling the transmission of bat rabies.

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Temporal patterns of vampire bat rabies and host connectivity in Belize

10.1101/2020.07.16.204446 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel J. Becker ◽

Alice Broos ◽

Laura M. Bergner ◽

Diana K. Meza ◽

Nancy B. Simmons ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rabies Virus ◽

Reservoir Host ◽

Phase Lag ◽

Microsatellite Data ◽

Spatial Spread ◽

Infection Dynamics ◽

Vampire Bats ◽

Virus Exposure ◽

Bat Rabies ◽

Vampire Bat

AbstractIn the Neotropics, vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) are the main reservoir host for rabies, a highly fatal encephalitis caused by viruses in the genus Lyssavirus. Although patterns of rabies virus exposure and infection have been well-studied for vampire bats in South America and Mexico, exploring the ecology of vampire bat rabies in other regions is crucial for predicting risks to livestock and humans. In Belize, rabies outbreaks in livestock have increased in recent years, underscoring the need for systematic data on viral dynamics in vampire bats. In this study, we examine the first three years of a longitudinal study on the ecology of vampire bat rabies in northern Belize. Rabies seroprevalence in bats was high across years (29–80%), suggesting active and endemic virus circulation. Across two locations, the seroprevalence time series per site were inversely related and out of phase by at least a year. Microsatellite data demonstrated historic panmixia of vampire bats, and mark–recapture detected rare but contemporary inter-site dispersal. This degree of movement could facilitate spatial spread of rabies virus but is likely insufficient to synchronize infection dynamics, which offers one explanation for the observed phase lag in seroprevalence. More broadly, our analyses suggest frequent transmission of rabies virus within and among vampire bat roosts in northern Belize and highlight the need for future spatiotemporal, phylogenetic, and ecological studies of vampire bat rabies in Central America.

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Periodic monitoring of vampire bats and rabies: a new framework for animal restoration projects in the Neotropics

10.32942/osf.io/53hda ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fernando Gonçalves ◽

Daniel G. Streicker ◽

Mauro Galetti

Keyword(s):

Disease Transmission ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Multidisciplinary Teams ◽

Risk Area ◽

Food Web Structure ◽

Land Bridge ◽

High Risk Area ◽

Restoration Project ◽

Vampire Bats

Nowadays, restoration project might lead to increased public engagement and enthusiasm for biodiversity and is receiving increased media attention in major newspapers, TED talks and the scientific literature. However, empirical research on restoration project is rare, fragmented, and geographically biased and long-term studies that monitor indirect and unexpected effects are needed to support future management decisions especially in the Neotropical area. Changes in animal population dynamics and community composition following species (re)introduction may have unanticipated consequences for a variety of downstream ecosystem processes, including food web structure, predator-prey systems and infectious disease transmission. Recently, an unprecedented study in Brazil showed changes in vampire bat feeding following a rewilding project and further transformed the land-bridge island into a high-risk area for rabies transmission. Due the lessons learned from ongoing project, we present a novel approach on how to anticipate, monitor, and mitigate the vampire bats and rabies in rewilding projects. We pinpoint a series of precautions and the need for long-term monitoring of vampire bats and rabies responses to rewilding projects and highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary teams of scientist and managers focusing on prevention educational program of rabies risk transmitted by bats. In addition, monitoring the relative abundance of vampire bats, considering reproductive control by sterilization and oral vaccines that autonomously transfer among bats would reduce the probability, size and duration of rabies outbreaks. The rewilding assessment framework presented here responds to calls to better integrate the science and practice of rewilding and also could be used for long-term studying of bat-transmitted pathogen in the Neotropical area as the region is considered a geographic hotspots of “missing bat zoonoses”.

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Abundance of the common vampire bat and feeding prevalence on cattle along a gradient of landscape disturbance in southeastern Mexico

Mammal Research ◽

10.1007/s13364-021-00572-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Víctor Hugo Mendoza-Sáenz ◽

Darío Alejandro Navarrete-Gutiérrez ◽

Guillermo Jiménez-Ferrer ◽

Cristian Kraker-Castañeda ◽

Romeo A. Saldaña-Vázquez

Keyword(s):

Landscape Disturbance ◽

The Common ◽

Vampire Bat

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