scholarly journals Consumption of spiders by the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the long-eared bat (Myotis evotis) in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Maucieri ◽  
Robert M.R. Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Sample Analysis ◽  
Insect Abundance ◽  
Variable Environments ◽  
Little Brown Bat ◽  
Aerial Insect

Intraspecific variation in diet and/or foraging behaviour is one way in which species are able to occupy wide geographical areas with variable environments. <i>Myotis lucifugus</i> (Le Conte, 1831), a primarily aerial insectivorous bat, consumes spiders in low temperatures at the start and end of summer in Northwest Territories, but in Alaska, it consumes spiders all summer, even during high aerial-insect abundance. There are no competitors of <i>M. lucifugus</i> in Alaska, but there are in Northwest Territories, suggesting that aerial insect abundance and competition from gleaning bats influences when <i>M. lucifugus</i> consumes spiders. In the Kananaskis area of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, we investigated spider consumption by <i>M. lucifugus</i>, and <i>Myotis evotis</i> (H. Allen, 1864), a species more adept at gleaning, to better understand when bats consume spiders. Fecal sample analysis indicated that <i>Myotis evotis</i> consumed spiders all season long, with greater consumption when the bats were caught near water. <i>Myotis lucifugus</i> did not consume spiders at all. This suggests that <i>M. lucifugus</i> opportunistically consumes spiders when encountered, but does not encounter them in Kananaskis where it forages primarily over open water, unlike in Northwest Territories where it forages in the interior of forests and may encounter spiders more frequently.

Bat activity over calm and turbulent water

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrix von Frenckell ◽  
Robert M. R. Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Frequency Analysis ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Prey Abundance ◽  
Sticky Traps ◽  
Insect Abundance ◽  
Echolocation Calls ◽  
Bat Activity ◽  
Little Brown Bat ◽  
Turbulent Water

A comparison of the activity of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) over calm pools and fast-flowing riffles was performed in southwestern Alberta. Bat activity was assessed by monitoring echolocation calls using ultrasonic detectors. Activity was higher over pools than riffles. This could be due to differences in prey abundance or accessibility in the two habitats. Alternatively, water noise at turbulent sites may interfere with the bats' echolocation abilities. Sticky traps were used to assess prey abundance, and water noise was recorded for intensity–frequency analysis. Insect abundance at the height where the bats flew (< 1 m above the water) did not differ between sites, but insects close to or at water level at calm pools may be more accessible than at fast-flowing riffles. Further, water noise at riffles may decrease the efficiency with which bats detect targets.

scholarly journals Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): impact on bat activity and foraging behaviour along the upper Hudson River, New York

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-223
Author(s):  
L.A. Hooton ◽  
Y.A. Dzal ◽  
N. Veselka ◽  
M.B. Fenton
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Hudson River ◽  
Control Site ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Lasiurus Cinereus ◽  
Insect Abundance ◽  
Insect Prey ◽  
Bat Activity

Sediments of the upper Hudson River, New York, USA, contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Consequently, elevated levels of PCBs have been found in the tissues of bats and their insect prey along this region. However, it is not clear whether bat activity and foraging behaviour have been affected. To assess possible effects of PCBs on bat activity and foraging behaviour, we measured the activity of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus (LeConte, 1831)) and hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796)) along the upper Hudson River, as well as abundance of insect prey at the same locations. We also measured foraging duration and distances travelled by radio-tagged M. lucifugus. We found that bat activity and insect abundance did not differ with PCB concentration. We did, however, find that foraging behaviour along the Hudson River differed from a control site. Specifically, M. lucifugus foraging along PCB-contaminated areas of the Hudson River travelled shorter distances from their roosts and spent less time foraging than bats at an uncontaminated site. Our results show that while bats roost and forage in areas historically exposed to PCBs, this exposure has not adversely affected bat activity, foraging behaviour, or abundance of insect prey.

The influence of wing morphology and echolocation on the gleaning ability of the insectivorous bat Myotis tricolor

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 1854-1863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Stoffberg ◽  
David S Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Analysis ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
The Other ◽  
Wing Morphology ◽  
Echolocation Calls ◽  
Narrow Bandwidth ◽  
Mole Crickets ◽  
Wing Tips ◽  
Wing Tip

On the basis of its external morphology, Myotis tricolor (Temminck, 1832) should be able to both aerial-feed and glean. Furthermore, this bat is known to use broadband calls of short duration, reinforcing the prediction that it gleans. However, results from this study indicate that M. tricolor does not commonly glean. This conclusion was reached after studying the foraging behaviour of M. tricolor in a flight room. We presented M. tricolor with mealworms, moths, mole crickets, beetles, and cicadas in a variety of ways that required either gleaning and (or) aerial feeding. Although M. tricolor readily took tethered prey, it did not take any of the variety of insects presented to it in a manner that required gleaning. We therefore compared its wing morphology and echolocation calls with those of several known gleaners, Nycteris thebaica E. Geoffroy, 1818, Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte, 1831), and Myotis septentrionalis (Trouessart, 1897), and an aerial forager, Neoromicia capensis (A. Smith, 1829). In a discriminant analysis wing-tip shape was the only variable to provide some degree of discrimination between species, with M. tricolor having more pointed wing tips than the known gleaners. Discriminant analysis of echolocation-call parameters grouped M. tricolor with the other Myotis species and separated it from N. capensis and N. thebaica. However, M. tricolor did not use harmonics as did the other Myotis species. The apparent failure of M. tricolor to glean might therefore be due to its relatively pointed wings and narrow-bandwidth echolocation calls, owing to the absence of harmonics in its calls.

Host behaviour, age and sex correlate with ectoparasite prevalence and intensity in a colonial mammal, the little brown bat

Behaviour ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 152 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quinn M.R. Webber ◽  
Liam P. McGuire ◽  
Steven B. Smith ◽  
Craig K.R. Willis
Keyword(s):  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Wildlife Diseases ◽  
Colonial Species ◽  
Host Seeking ◽  
Host Sex ◽  
Little Brown Bat ◽  
Host Behaviour ◽  
Age And Sex

The influence of behaviour on host-parasite dynamics has theoretical support but few empirical studies have examined this influence for wild-captured hosts, especially in colonial species, which are thought to face generally high risk of exposure. Behavioural tendencies of hosts in novel environments could mediate host exposure. We tested the hypothesis that behavioural tendencies of hosts, and host sex and age, correlate with prevalence and intensity of ectoparasites in a gregarious mammal, the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus). We also tested whether relationships between host behaviour and parasite prevalence and intensity would vary between taxa of ectoparasites which differ in host-seeking behaviour. We predicted that individual hosts displaying active and explorative behaviours would have higher prevalence and intensity of parasites that depend on physical contact among hosts for transmission (mites) but that host behaviour would not influence prevalence and intensity of mobile ectoparasites with active host-seeking behaviour (fleas). We recorded behavioural responses of wild-captured bats in a novel-environment test and then sampled each individual for ectoparasites. After accounting for age and sex we found mixed support for our hypotheses in some but not all demographics. More active adult and young of the year (YOY) males were more likely to host mites while more active adult and YOY females were less likely to host fleas. Our results highlight possible differences in the influence of host and parasite behaviour on parasite transmission dynamics for colonial compared to non-colonial species and have conservation implications for understanding pathogen transmission in bat white-nose syndrome and other wildlife diseases.

Effects of Familiar Area on the Homing Ability of the Little Brown Bat, Myotis lucifugus

1979 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-204
Author(s):  
J. W. Leffler ◽  
L. T. Leffler ◽  
J. S. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Little Brown Bat

Handling and blood collection in the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)

Lab Animal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 197-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Hooper ◽  
Sybill K. Amelon
Keyword(s):  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Blood Collection ◽  
Little Brown Bat

Day-roosting activity budgets of the eastern pipistrelle bat, Pipistrellus subflavus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane M. Winchell ◽  
Thomas H. Kunz
Keyword(s):  
Post Partum ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
Activity Budgets ◽  
Little Brown Bat ◽  
Eastern Pipistrelle ◽  
Pipistrellus Subflavus ◽  
Temperature Time

Daily and seasonal activity budgets of adult female eastern pipistrelle bats, Pipistrellus subflavus, were quantified at a maternity colony in eastern Massachusetts. Ambient and roost temperatures were recorded. Activities of roosting bats were monitored using an infrared-sensitive video camera. Scan sampling was used to analyze video records taken at weekly intervals from mid-May to late July 1989. Analysis of day-roosting indicates that adult females spend an average of 77% of their time at rest, 16% alert, 7% grooming, and < 1% crawling. Bats were most active immediately following their morning return to the day-roost and just prior to their departure at dusk. Periodic bouts of activity throughout the day were usually associated with urination and (or) defecation, mother–pup interactions, and movements in response to changes in roost temperature. Females were significantly more active in mortise roosts than when roosting on the open ridgepole, probably because fluctuations in temperature in mortises were smaller. As the season progressed, the overall time that bats spent resting decreased from 86 to 70%, whereas time spent alert increased from 9 to 24%; weekly fluctuations in the incidence of grooming and crawling showed no consistent seasonal trends. Roost temperature, time of day, and date explained significant amounts of variation in both daily and seasonal activity budgets. Females rested significantly less and were more alert after young were born than before, although time spent grooming and crawling did not differ significantly between the pre- and post-partum periods. Our findings for P. subflavus generally corroborate activity budgets previously reported for the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus).

A Non-Commensal Maternity Roost of the Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)

1985 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 782-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. R. Barclay ◽  
K. J. Cash
Keyword(s):  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Little Brown Bat ◽  
Maternity Roost
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