scholarly journals Foods of Bats (Family Vespertilionidae) at Five Locations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts

2012 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard H. Thomas ◽  
Paul R. Moosman ◽  
Jacques Pierre Veilleux ◽  
Jason Holt
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
North Central ◽  
Lasiurus Borealis ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
Percentage Volume ◽  
Foraging Niche

Diet and feeding relations of six species of bats at five locations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts were studied to improve understanding of foraging niche differentiation. Fecal samples were collected from 100 Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus), 154 Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus), 49 Northern Myotis (M. septentrionalis), 54 Eastern Small-footed Myotis (M. leibii), 9 Eastern Red Bats (Lasiurus borealis), and 1 Hoary Bat (L. cinereus) netted during non-hibernation periods from 2004 to 2008 at four locations in southern New Hampshire and one in north-central Massachusetts. Beetles (Order Coleoptera) were the major food of E. fuscus (mean percentage volume = 81.6%, 97% occurrence) followed by moths (Order Lepidoptera), with scarabaeid and carabid beetles the most abundant consumed families by volume and frequency. Moths were the most important item by volume and frequency preyed on by the remaining species (M. lucifugus, mean percentage volume 30.7%, 82% occurrence; M. septentrionalis, mean percentage volume 42.7%, 82% occurrence; M. leibii, mean percentage volume 49.4%, 81% occurrence; L. borealis, mean percentage volume 62.8%, 100% occurrence; L. cinereus, mean percentage volume 82%, 100% occurrence). Little Brown Myotis consumed the largest variety of prey (40); Northern Myotis consumed the highest volume of spiders (8.1%). Community similarity index values indicated diets of the three species of Myotis were more similar to each other (similarity = 0.71) than to those of non-Myotis. The diet of E. fuscus was more similar to that of the Myotis cluster (0.58) than to either species of Lasiurus. Results suggest that, despite faunal differences between the U.S. Northeast and other parts of North America, foraging relationships among guild members follows a similar pattern.

scholarly journals Potential foraging niche release in insectivorous bat species relatively unaffected by white-nose syndrome?

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (10) ◽  
pp. 667-680
Author(s):  
Heather W. Mayberry ◽  
M. Reese McMillan ◽  
A. Vikram Chochinov ◽  
Joshua C. Hinds ◽  
John M. Ratcliffe
Keyword(s):  
Common Species ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Lasiurus Borealis ◽  
Lasiurus Cinereus ◽  
Acoustic Data ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Myotis Myotis ◽  
Foraging Niche ◽  
Myotis Leibii ◽  
Biomechanical Constraints

White-nose syndrome (WNS) has rendered four of Ontario’s species endangered, while leaving the other four species relatively unaffected. The causes and extent of the declines have been widely studied. The influence on remaining bat species has not. Comparing acoustic data recorded ∼10 years apart, we evaluated how species in southeastern Ontario, Canada, use different foraging habitats pre- and post-WNS detection. We observed activity declines in now-endangered species over open fields (small-footed myotis, Myotis leibii (Audubon and Bachman, 1842); little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte, 1831); northern myotis, Myotis septentrionalis (Trouessart, 1897); tricolored bat, Perimyotis subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832)) and speculate that the reduction of the once most common species (M. lucifugus) may have resulted in other species searching for prey in habitat once dominated by M. lucifugus. That is, these changes may have allowed greater presence in open field and clutter or edge environments by the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796)) and three migratory species (silver-haired bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans (Le Conte, 1831); red bat, Lasiurus borealis (Müller, 1776); hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796)). However, our results also suggest that (i) while the decline of most resident bat species due to WNS may have relaxed competition for relatively unaffected species in some, but not all habitats, that (ii) sensory and biomechanical constraints may limit prey exploitation by these less-affected bat species in these habitats.

scholarly journals Hepatic lipid signatures of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) at early stages of white-nose syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan L. Pannkuk ◽  
Nicole A. S.-Y. Dorville ◽  
Yvonne A. Dzal ◽  
Quinn E. Fletcher ◽  
Kaleigh J. O. Norquay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Fatty Acid Distribution ◽  
Eptesicus Fuscus ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Pseudogymnoascus Destructans ◽  
Hepatic Lipid ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
Little Brown Bats

AbstractWhite-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent wildlife fungal disease of cave-dwelling, hibernating bats that has led to unprecedented mortalities throughout North America. A primary factor in WNS-associated bat mortality includes increased arousals from torpor and premature fat depletion during winter months. Details of species and sex-specific changes in lipid metabolism during WNS are poorly understood and may play an important role in the pathophysiology of the disease. Given the likely role of fat metabolism in WNS and the fact that the liver plays a crucial role in fatty acid distribution and lipid storage, we assessed hepatic lipid signatures of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) at an early stage of infection with the etiological agent, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Differences in lipid profiles were detected at the species and sex level in the sham-inoculated treatment, most strikingly in higher hepatic triacylglyceride (TG) levels in E. fuscus females compared to males. Interestingly, several dominant TGs (storage lipids) decreased dramatically after Pd infection in both female M. lucifugus and E. fuscus. Increases in hepatic glycerophospholipid (structural lipid) levels were only observed in M. lucifugus, including two phosphatidylcholines (PC [32:1], PC [42:6]) and one phosphatidylglycerol (PG [34:1]). These results suggest that even at early stages of WNS, changes in hepatic lipid mobilization may occur and be species and sex specific. As pre-hibernation lipid reserves may aid in bat persistence and survival during WNS, these early perturbations to lipid metabolism could have important implications for management responses that aid in pre-hibernation fat storage.

Landscape-wide flight activity by wintering bats predictably follows pulses of warmth in the Midwestern United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J Arndt ◽  
Steven L Lima
Keyword(s):  
Flight Activity ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Lasiurus Borealis ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Winter Activity ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
Acoustic Recording ◽  
Distance Travel ◽  
Long Distance Travel ◽  
Winter Hibernation

Abstract During winter hibernation, bats may become active for a variety of reasons. Such winter activity occurs at or near hibernacula, but the degree to which this activity represents long-distance travel across a wider landscape largely is unstudied. We documented patterns in landscape-wide winter activity across a west-central Indiana study site, providing some new insights into winter flight activity. We deployed acoustic recording devices in areas without any known hibernacula, each night from December through March over three consecutive winters. Twilight temperatures (1 h post-sunset) ranged from −23°C to 21°C across three winters. We recorded 4,392 call files and attributed 89% to a phonic group based on characteristic frequencies. Flight activity was recorded at all stations and during all winter months. Nightly activity mainly was a function of the temperature on that night. We recorded low-phonic bats (most likely big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus) down to −4°C, but most activity occurred when twilight temperatures were > 0°C. Mid-phonic bat activity (most likely eastern red bats, Lasiurus borealis) occurred when temperatures were > 0°C, with most activity occurring when temperatures were > 5°C. Wind speeds > 6 m/s tended to suppress activity. The duration of inactive periods during cold spells had no effect on activity during subsequent warm nights, indicating no increasing drive for activity following long periods of inactivity. Most activity occurred within a few hours of sunset, regardless of temperature. Little pre-sunset activity was recorded in low-phonic bats, but mid-phonic bats sometimes were active in the hour before sunset. Our results suggest widespread and potentially long-distance travel by bats across our study area during warm periods, but the impetus behind this activity remains unclear.

scholarly journals Ambiguities in using telomere length for age determination in two North American bat species

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
pp. 958-969
Author(s):  
Katherine M Ineson ◽  
Thomas J O’Shea ◽  
C William Kilpatrick ◽  
Katy L Parise ◽  
Jeffrey T Foster
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Age Determination ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Biological Age ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
Buccal Swabs ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Longitudinal Sampling

Abstract The age of an animal, determined by time (chronological age) as well as genetic and environmental factors (biological age), influences the likelihood of mortality and reproduction and thus the animal’s contribution to population growth. For many long-lived species, such as bats, a lack of external and morphological indicators has made determining age a challenge, leading researchers to examine genetic markers of age for application to demographic studies. One widely studied biomarker of age is telomere length, which has been related both to chronological and biological age across taxa, but only recently has begun to be studied in bats. We assessed telomere length from the DNA of known-age and minimum known-age individuals of two bat species using a quantitative PCR assay. We determined that telomere length was quadratically related to chronological age in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), although it had little predictive power for accurate age determination of unknown-age individuals. The relationship was different in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), where telomere length instead was correlated with biological age, apparently due to infection and wing damage associated with white-nose syndrome. Furthermore, we showed that wing biopsies currently are a better tissue source for studying telomere length in bats than guano and buccal swabs; the results from the latter group were more variable and potentially influenced by storage time. Refinement of collection and assessment methods for different non-lethally collected tissues will be important for longitudinal sampling to better understand telomere dynamics in these long-lived species. Although further work is needed to develop a biomarker capable of determining chronological age in bats, our results suggest that biological age, as reflected in telomere length, may be influenced by extrinsic stressors such as disease.

scholarly journals Metagenomic Analysis of the Viromes of Three North American Bat Species: Viral Diversity among Different Bat Species That Share a Common Habitat

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (24) ◽  
pp. 13004-13018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric F. Donaldson ◽  
Aimee N. Haskew ◽  
J. Edward Gates ◽  
Jeremy Huynh ◽  
Clea J. Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Population Diversity ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Viral Population ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Natural Hosts ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

ABSTRACT Effective prediction of future viral zoonoses requires an in-depth understanding of the heterologous viral population in key animal species that will likely serve as reservoir hosts or intermediates during the next viral epidemic. The importance of bats as natural hosts for several important viral zoonoses, including Ebola, Marburg, Nipah, Hendra, and rabies viruses and severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV), has been established; however, the large viral population diversity (virome) of bats has been partially determined for only a few of the ∼1,200 bat species. To assess the virome of North American bats, we collected fecal, oral, urine, and tissue samples from individual bats captured at an abandoned railroad tunnel in Maryland that is cohabitated by 7 to 10 different bat species. Here, we present preliminary characterization of the virome of three common North American bat species, including big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), and little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus). In samples derived from these bats, we identified viral sequences that were similar to at least three novel group 1 CoVs, large numbers of insect and plant virus sequences, and nearly full-length genomic sequences of two novel bacteriophages. These observations suggest that bats encounter and disseminate a large assortment of viruses capable of infecting many different animals, insects, and plants in nature.

Structure and dynamics of arthropod communities in bat guano deposits in buildings

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Franklin Bernath ◽  
Thomas H. Kunz
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Arthropod Communities ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Arthropod Species ◽  
Little Brown Bat ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
Bat Guano

This study characterizes the composition, structure, and dynamics of arthropod communities associated with bat guano deposits in buildings. Guano beneath three summer roosts of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) in southern New Hampshire was sampled over a 1-year period.Twelve arthropod species are reported of which most are cosmopolitan associates of dried organic matter and stored products. Included are psocopterans, beetles, mites, hemipterans, a flea, and a pseudoscorpion. These taxa function as fungivores, sarcophages, predators, and ectoparasites.These simple arthropod communities exploit a seasonally rich resource produced by roosting bats. Nycteriglyphine mites were the first free-living colonizers of fresh guano deposits and were the most numerous arthropods throughout the year. Older guano deposits and those with the most diverse resource base generally supported the greatest number of species.Seasonal changes in communities included the presence of fleas only when bats were present, a greater number but lower diversity of other arthropod species when bats were present, and a more equitable distribution and abundance of species when bats were absent. Fresh, wet guano supported higher densities of fungivorous mites and flea larvae than did older, drier guano.

scholarly journals The status and habitat of Karamoja Apalis Apalis karamojae in the Wembere Steppe, Sukumaland, Tanzania

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
PHILIP SHAW ◽  
ELIAS MUNGAYA
Keyword(s):  
Human Population ◽  
Distance Sampling ◽  
Density Estimate ◽  
North Central ◽  
Acacia Drepanolobium ◽  
North East ◽  
The Status ◽  
Foraging Niche ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Unprotected Area

Karamoja Apalis Apalis karamojae is a globally Vulnerable warbler, restricted to north-east Uganda, north-central Tanzania and southern Kenya. Here, we describe its status and habitat in the Wembere Steppe, Sukumaland, Tanzania, an unprotected area of seasonally inundated grassland bordered partly by Acacia scrub. Although its habitat in the steppe was thought likely to span c. 175 km north–south during the 1960s to 1970s, we found the apalis to be patchily distributed over a distance of only 102 km north–south. Distance sampling yielded a density estimate of c. 7–16 birds km−2; equivalent to c. 3–7 pairs km−2, after juveniles (18% of the population) were excluded, and assuming that all adults were paired. The species occupied a very narrow foraging niche, feeding almost exclusively in Whistling Thorn Acacia drepanolobium, which accounted for 66% of woody stems in the study area, but for 95% of stems in the immediate vicinity of apalis sightings. Half of all individuals were encountered in the tallest, densest stands of A. drepanolobium, which covered less than 6% of the study area. Signs of scrub clearance, pruning and browsing were widespread in the steppe, and may have intensified during 1967–2002, when the human population in surrounding districts increased at a mean rate of c. 2–4% per year. Further research is required to determine whether our findings are representative of the species in other seasons and at other sites.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Acoustic Lures for Increasing Indiana Bat Captures in Mist-Nets

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 206-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Samoray ◽  
Mark W. Gumbert ◽  
Piper L. Roby ◽  
Gregg A. Janos ◽  
Richard R. Borthwick
Keyword(s):  
Past Research ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Myotis Sodalis ◽  
North Central ◽  
Lasiurus Borealis ◽  
Indiana Bat ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
Social Calls ◽  
And Control ◽  
Mist Net

Abstract As bat (Chiroptera) populations continue to decline in the eastern United States due to threats such as white-nose syndrome and interactions with wind facilities, capturing already rare species such as the federally endangered Indiana bat Myotis sodalis to assess health and demographics has become increasingly difficult. Mist-nets are a standard method for capturing and studying bats, but bats have the ability to escape from or avoid mist-nets. Past research has shown that the use of acoustic lures may increase mist-net capture success. Using prerecorded Indiana bat social calls, we tested the effectiveness of acoustic lures on capture rates across 24 nights at 37 sites in summers 2013 and 2014 in north-central Kentucky. Each site consisted of two nets (treatment and control) placed >35 m apart: we placed an acoustic lure set 1 m in front of the treatment net, whereas the control net received no lure. At the species level, we recorded significantly more captures in treatment nets (n = 262) than in control nets [n = 128; t(36) = 5.08, P < 0.001]. However, although we found a trend toward higher Indiana bat captures, the only species' with significant positive responses were evening bats Nycticeius humeralis [t(15) = 6.25, P < 0.001] and eastern red bats Lasiurus borealis [t(36) = 3.60, P < 0.001]. Further study is required to determine whether modifications to lure settings or call types result in increased Indiana bat captures.

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