The infl1uence of physical clutter and noise on the activity of bats over water

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 1167-1170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin L. Mackey ◽  
Robert M. R. Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Prey Detection ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Running Water ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
Calm Water ◽  
Bodies Of Water ◽  
Turbulent Water

To determine why some bats concentrate their activity over calm water rather than turbulent water, we studied the effects of surface clutter and running-water noise on the foraging activity of Myotis lucifugus (little brown bats), which commonly fly within 0.5 m of the water surface, and Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bats), which forage at greater heights, in southwestern Alberta, Canada. In paired experiments over calm water, artificial clutter reduced the activity of M. lucifugus, but not that of E. fuscus, compared with natural conditions. Playbacks of the sound of turbulent water reduced the activity of both M. lucifugus and E. fuscus in paired experiments over calm water. Clutter is an obstacle to flight and produces extraneous background echoes that must be discriminated from prey echoes. Water noise may also interfere with prey detection. The result may be reduced foraging efficiency by bats and a preference for calm bodies of water over turbulent ones.

Lack of evidence for a biological alarm clock in bats (Myotis spp.) hibernating under natural conditions

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald W. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Eptesicus Fuscus ◽  
Myotis Lucifugus ◽  
Early Winter ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Myotis Septentrionalis ◽  
Alarm Clock ◽  
Big Brown Bats ◽  
Free Running ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Activity Times

Noting that captive hibernating big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) aroused from bouts of torpor at precise times of the day (17:00–19:00), Twente and Twente (J. W. Twente and J. Twente. 1987. Can. J. Zool. 65: 1668–1674) hypothesized the existence of a temperature-compensated, non-free-running biological alarm clock that regulated the timing of arousals in bats. I tested this hypothesis in a natural hibernaculum used by little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis), and big brown bats (E. fuscus) by recording the timing of periods of activity with an ultrasonic detector and an electronic datalogger. Although there was significantly (2.5–4.0 times) more activity during the night than during the day, the pattern of activity did not conform with that observed in the laboratory. Bats were found to be active at all times of the day and there was little evidence of a concentration of activity around the period 17:00–19:00 as observed in the laboratory. Over three measurement periods in early winter and midwinter, the mean activity times were 18:54 ± 4.5 h, 23:48 ± 5.0 h, and 23:18 ± 5.2 h. The high variation around the mean times indicates that bats aroused and were active at most times of the night. If a biological alarm clock exists in bats, it is only weakly expressed under natural conditions.

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.

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.

Preliminary observations on factors affecting foraging activity in the limpet Patella vulgata

1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Little ◽  
David Morritt ◽  
David M. Paterson ◽  
Penny Stirling ◽  
Gray A. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
High Water ◽  
Irish Sea ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Calm Water ◽  
Lough Hyne

Activity patterns of limpets were studied at two adjacent sites in an Irish sea lough, Lough Hyne, in order to relate timing of activity to physical and biological influences. Activity was suppressed during heavy rainfall, and osmotic stress from dilution appears to have led to increased mortality in transplanted limpets. Activity increased as tides progressed from neaps to springs, and for limpets low on the shore it was enhanced by wave action. It is suggested that lack of activity in calm water may reduce predation pressure from crabs, which caused high mortality in transplanted limpets. Either low relative humidity or dryness of the rock diminished activity of low-water limpets. Differences in feeding activity between low-water limpets and high-water limpets may relate to food supply, since more food was available low on the shore, and the guts of low-water limpets contained more diatoms than those of high-water individuals. Differences between the two sites are at present unexplained but may relate to differences in micro habitats.

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.

Foraging efficiency of a predator flock for randomly moving prey: A simulation study

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (09) ◽  
pp. 1650135
Author(s):  
Sang-Hee Lee ◽  
Ohsung Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Simulation Study ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Prey Detection ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Detection Ability ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Flocking Behavior ◽  
Iteration Time

Flocking behavior of animals is highly advantageous for taking food resources. The degree of the advantage is related to the ability of flock members to detect their prey and the mobility of prey individuals. In this study, to explore the relation, we constructed a model to simulate a predator flock and its randomly moving prey. The predator members have the prey detection ability, which was characterized as sensing distance, [Formula: see text], and a sensing angle, [Formula: see text]. The mobility of the prey individuals was characterized as the maximum traveling distance of an iteration time step, [Formula: see text]. The relative flock foraging efficiency, [Formula: see text], was defined as [Formula: see text]. [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] represent the spent time for the flock to eat all prey individuals and to uptake the last remaining 10% prey, respectively. Simulation results showed that [Formula: see text] increased, maximized, and decreased with the increase of [Formula: see text], regardless of [Formula: see text]. As the number of prey, [Formula: see text], increased, the tendency of the increasing and decreasing was diluted. The result was briefly discussed in relation to the flock foraging behavior and the development of the model toward applications for real ecosystems.

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.

scholarly journals In-vitro seed germination Trial for the population Terminalia ivorensis Collected from Benchi-Maji zone, south western Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Adefa ◽  
Yigardu Mengesha ◽  
Semaigzer Ayalew ◽  
Marshet Nigatu ◽  
Wondu Kebede
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Running Water ◽  
Treatment Techniques ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Germination Trial ◽  
Tree Seeds ◽  
The One ◽  
Western Ethiopia

Abstract Tree seeds exhibit some degree of dormancy. Similarly, the seeds of Terminalia ivorensis germinate with great difficulties. To break the dormancy and improve the germination capability of seeds, different types of mechanical and physiological approaches can be followed. Accordingly, the seeds of T. ivorensis were subjected to two pre-sowing treatments (one is with seeds soaked in water for 24 hours and the other is with seeds soaked for 10 minutes in 80% concentrated H2SO4 then abundantly rinsed in running water for 20 minutes) in addition to the control one. So, a total of 100 seeds divided into 4 replications (25 seeds per tray) were tested for each treatment. Then, treated seeds were sown in sand tray to seed the germination characteristic of the different treatments. The sown seeds were followed up for 5 months with proper watering, and the germination record was taken accordingly. Analysis of the germination of the different treatments shows that seeds that were not treated exhibits better mean germination percentages (62%) followed by the one with seeds soaked for 24 hours (47%). However, seeds treated with 80% [H2SO4] for 10 minutes then abundantly rinsed in running water for 20 minutes showed no germination. So, both the 62% and 47% germination recorded are fairly accepted results considering the low germination capacity of T. ivorensis in laboratory and natural conditions. However, other possible pre-sowing treatment techniques can be studied and incorporated for increasing the seed germination of T. ivorensis in-vitro in addition to the records obtained in this trial.

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.

Foraging ecology of the thermophilic Australian desert ant, Melophorus bagoti

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Muser ◽  
Stefan Sommer ◽  
Harald Wolf ◽  
Rüdiger Wehner
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Ecology ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Desert Ant ◽  
Foraging Site ◽  
Intercolony Aggression ◽  
Melophorus Bagoti

The paper describes the foraging ecology of the Australian desert ant, Melophorus bagoti, a thermophilic, diurnal scavenger with ground-nesting colonies. Overlapping foraging ranges, low foraging success rates, and intercolony aggression suggest intense competition for food between colonies. Daily foraging starts when soil surface temperatures approach 50°C. Workers search individually and collect predominantly dead insects. Occasionally, they consume plant secretions. Foraging activity peaks on mid-summer days. On cloudy days the onset of foraging is delayed, and the foraging activity is low. Ants do not forage on rainy days. Typically, workers start their above-ground activities with a few short exploration runs. On average, they perform one foraging run on the first day of their outdoor lives. With age they gradually increase foraging site fidelity and daily foraging effort. Individual foraging efficiency is low at the beginning but grows with experience. However, due to a high mortality rate and, hence, high forager turnover, average rates of foraging success for a colony remain rather low. The outdoor activity gradually decreases towards the end of summer and appears to stop completely during the winter months.

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