Habitat use and response to patches of prey by desert insectivorous bats

1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (10) ◽  
pp. 1876-1883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary P. Bell

I examined the habitat use patterns of an Arizona insectivorous bat community using ultrasonic sensing equipment which allowed field identification of bat species based on their echolocation calls. Response to prey patchiness by the species encountered was tested using ultraviolet lights to attract swarms of insects. No partitioning of habitat or time was observed, there being a high degree of species overlap, and many species of bats appeared to be positively associated. All species responded to light-induced prey patches on at least some occasions. Analysis of prey populations indicated that food, though abundant, was extremely patchy in distribution, both spatially and temporally. These data indicate a bat community in which species are highly adapted to an abundant, but patchy food source.

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Furlonger ◽  
H. J. Dewar ◽  
M. B. Fenton

We monitored echolocation calls to measure the activity of insectivorous bats at study sites in southwestern Ontario during the summer of 1985, relying on feeding buzzes to identify foraging activity. Eptesicus fuscus was the most common and widespread species in the area, while Lasiurus cinereus and Lasiurus borealis were widespread. Species in the genus Myotis were more restricted in their distribution, being more common in an area with potential hibernacula. None of the species foraged exclusively in one habitat and all species exploited concentrations of insects around lights. Only E. fuscus made significant use of lights as foraging sites in urban areas while in town and rural areas all of the species foraged around lights.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 4045-4057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross E. Boucek ◽  
Michael R. Heithaus ◽  
Rolando Santos ◽  
Philip Stevens ◽  
Jennifer S. Rehage

Biotropica ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. Fenton ◽  
N. G. H. Boyle ◽  
T. M. Harrison ◽  
D. J. Oxley

Author(s):  
Daniel Danilewicz ◽  
Eduardo R. Secchi ◽  
Paulo H. Ott ◽  
Ignacio B. Moreno ◽  
Manuela Bassoi ◽  
...  

The patterns of habitat use by the franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) along its distribution are poorly known. This study investigates the patterns of habitat use with respect to depth for 181 individuals of different age, size, gender and reproductive condition off Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. The results reveal that franciscanas are very homogeneously distributed according to depth. Individuals from all lengths utilize nearly the entire range of depths of the surveyed area. Larger or older animals do not use deeper waters than younger animals, indicating that body size and age are not limiting factors for franciscanas that occupy deeper or offshore waters. Gestation seems to not cause a change in the distribution of females. Although the sex-ratio of the overall data did not vary from 1:1 in different depth intervals, a small-scale comparison between the northern and southern coast demonstrated the existence of some kind of sexual segregation. Franciscana by-catch in Rio Grande do Sul is not sustainable and it is agreed that management procedures are needed. Nevertheless, the available data on species distribution do not allow the designing of a protected area in order to minimize the by-catches of a particular sex/reproductive class.


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