JOURNAL OF BAT RESEARCH & CONSERVATION 16

Issachar L. López-Cuamatzi, M. Cristina MacSwiney G., Sandra Milena Ospina-Garcés, Jorge Ortega

Abstract: The controversial taxonomy of the Artibeus lituratus-intermedius complex and the lack of genetic studies in the Artibeus specimens reported in the Tres Marias Islands (TMI) have caused the taxonomic identity of these specimens to remain ambiguous. During an expedition carried out in May 2022, we captured four specimens of Artibeus in the Maria Madre and Maria Cleophas islands. The specimens were assigned by external morphological characters and traditional morphometrics, and were compared with the data available in the taxonomic descriptions of A. lituratus and A. intermedius. Additionally, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome b sequences. Our genetic data suggest that the Artibeus populations are a lineage of the Artibeus lituratus-intermedius complex. In addition, the morphometric data suggest the presence of two morphotypes that, according to the literature, would correspond to A. lituratus palmarum and A. intermedius koopmani. With these results, we propose that both species of Artibeus are present and therefore the bat community of TMI is composed of ten species. However, future more detailed genetic studies are needed to elucidate the true taxonomic diversity of the archipelago.

Vadamalai Elangovan

Abstract: A thorough knowledge of ecology and behaviour is a clear requirement for proper conservation and management of a species. The Indian flying fox, Pteropus medius (formerly P. giganteus Brünnich, 1782), lives gregariously in large trees and spends a considerable time at day roosts. The roost sites play vital roles in survival, reproduction and population persistence. This study describes changes in roost selection, colony size and behaviours of P. medius during reproductive and non-reproductive seasons in a large colony at Mohanlal Ganj, Lucknow (India). The colony size was significantly lower during the summer non-reproductive season (486.5 ± 121.1 SD) than during the spring (1942 ± 488.8 SD) and monsoon (2367.7 ± 277 SD) reproductive seasons. The number of roost trees utilised and roost site selection differed across the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. The bats occupied the southern periphery of the sampled garden during the non-reproductive period (summer), whereas they shifted to the central and northern parts of the garden during the reproductive seasons and winter periods. The reproductively active individuals secluded themselves from the reproductively inactive colony members. The selection of secluded roost sites during the reproductive period demonstrates the need for social exclusion, less disturbance, and reduced mate competition. The higher population size during the reproductive period might be due to the immigration of bats, most probably male individuals, facilitating gene flow from nearby populations and thus increasing genetic diversity and species resilience.

Szilárd-Lehel Bücs, Csaba Jére, István Csősz, Irina Pocora, Viorel Pocora, Alexandra-Elena Telea, Dragoș Bălășoiu, Victoria Nistreanu, Vladislav Caldari, Alina Larion, Nicola M. Fischer, Sébastien J. Puechmaille

Abstract: While the presence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (the causative agent of whitenose disease) is widely known in European locations, no detailed study has been carried out in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. In the period of 2014-2018, we sampled 21 locations (caves and mine galleries) in the two countries. These are important hibernacula and maternity sites for several bat species, mostly for Myotis myotis and M. blythii. Analyses identified seven sites positive for P. destructans, six in Romania and one in the Republic of Moldova, with no associated mass mortality, as is generally the case in Europe. Highest prevalence of positive samples comes from the Leșului cave (68% out of 16 samples), which is consistent with the cave’s complex structure and movement of individuals during arousal periods in winter. All positive samples from bats come from M. myotis, with one exception, a M. blythii specimen from the Republic of Moldova. Given the limited number of samples and sites analysed, the detection of P. destructans in at least seven sites suggests that the fungus is rather common in several parts of Romania and the Republic of Moldova

Morgan Hughes, Colin Cross, Scott Brown

Abstract: Woodland bat species may ‘time share’ tree roost features and occasionally have been recorded cohabiting in low numbers. However, few observations exist of substantial maternity roosts of sympatric species cohabiting in a single roost feature. Following an emergence survey in June of 2021 of a known maternity roost of 28 Nyctalus noctula individuals (pre-parturition), a further emergence from the same feature of 59 Myotis daubentonii was recorded and filmed using infra-red and thermal cameras. Cohabitation records of maternity colonies of this size have not been previously submitted to the UK Bat Tree Habitat Key database, nor do similar observations appear in the literature. Following the 2021 destruction of the roost feature during a storm, we were able to describe the entire feature in detail, including transverse section analysis and photography. Subsequent surveys have now shown that these two bat species have cohabited in features in at least three separate trees within the study site (a small, suburban, broad-leaved woodland), over at least two seasons. This novel record of interspecific cohabitation not only adds to the body of knowledge regarding roost cohabitation of Vespertilionidae in temperate woodlands, but also highlights the value of infra-red and thermal optics for improving the efficacy of bat emergence surveys, particularly in forest habitats.

Resumen: Los reportes sobre las anomalías morfológicas en vertebrados son escasos y apuntan a una mayor frecuencia en zonas anatómicas que no afectan la supervivencia del organismo. En este trabajo reportamos el hallazgo de una hembra adulta del murciélago canoso (Lasiurus cinereus), con extremidades posteriores asimétricas debido a una anomalía morfológica en una de sus patas. Las medidas morfológicas del espécimen fueron comparadas con individuos de colección y se analizó si la diferencia entre las medidas de sus extremidades izquierdas y derechas era la esperada bajo un modelo aleatorio. Los datos aquí presentados muestran una menor longitud en la pata izquierda en comparación con su población en Norteamérica. No se observó una variación significativa diferente al azar entre los lados de las extremidades posteriores ni anteriores. Debido a que las anomalías fenotípicas pueden ser evidencia de situaciones de estrés en las poblaciones silvestres, el reporte de estas variaciones es importante dada la escasez de información sobre este tópico.

Abstract: The records of morphological abnormalities in vertebrates are scarce and most of them have been recorded on anatomic zones that do not affect individual survivorship. In this work, we report the finding of an adult female hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), with an asymmetric hind limb due to a morphological abnormality. We compared the morphological measurements of the specimen with individuals from the collection and we tested if the difference between forelimbs and hind limbs was the expected under a random model. The data presented here show a lower length in the left foot of the specimen compared to the North American hoary bat populations. No significant variation other than chance was observed between the hindlimb and forelimb sides. Since phenotypic abnormalities can be evidence of stress situations in wildlife populations, reporting these variations is important given the scarcity of information on this topic.

Abstract: Hibernation is a critical period for the survival of bats in temperate regions. In Southern Europe in particular, the hibernation of some species is hampered by the scarcity of winter roosts with temperatures low enough to reach a deep hibernation state, which involves physiological processes other than daily torpor. In this paper we present the results of the study on various aspects of the only known wintering colony of the lesser mouse-eared bat (Myotis blythii) in Spain. Located in a cave in the Sierra de las Nieves National Park (Málaga), the colony has been monitored for ten years by means of photographic censuses and climatic data recording. As a result, it has been determined that at least 93.75% of the colony belongs to Myotis blythii. The characteristic whitish tuft between the ears, present in a variable proportion in European M. blythii, was in at least 85% of the individuals. The population fluctuates during the period of roost occupation, from September to May, reaching a maximum in March 2010 when up to 1517 bats were counted. In this month the temperature of the roost reached its minimum: 4.02 °C ± 1.18 (mean ± SD). The population was distributed in groups of different sizes with a mean of 35.50 individuals ± 76.54 (mean ± SD), ranging from solitary individuals (1.0% of the total observed) to clusters of more than 600 bats. Overall, we found that temperature had an inverse relationship on the cluster size, while water vapor pressure deficit had a direct relationship. Specifically, the best fit was for the mean temperature and mean water vapor pressure deficit for the previous 15 days. Climate change, to which the Mediterranean region is especially vulnerable, may alter the conditions of this refuge, posing a threat to this unique colony.