An experimental test of effects of ambient temperature and roost quality on aggregation by little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus)

Abstract

Environmental factors, such as ambient temperature (Ta) or roost/nest quality, can influence social behaviour of small-bodied endotherms because individuals may aggregate for social thermoregulation when Ta is low or select the warmest possible sites for roosting. Female temperate bats form maternity colonies in spring to communally raise pups and exploit social thermoregulation. They also select roosts with warm microclimates because low roost temperature (Troost) delays juvenile development. We studied captive female little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) to test the hypothesis that variation in Ta and Troost influence social group size. First, we predicted that female bats would preferentially select artificially heated roosts over unheated roosts. Second, we predicted that, as Ta decreased, group size would increase because bats would rely more heavily on social thermoregulation. Third, we predicted that experimentally increasing Troost (i.e., roost quality) above Ta would result in larger group sizes due to greater aggregation in high quality roosts. We captured 34 females from a maternity colony and housed them in a flight-tent provisioned with four bat boxes. Each box was outfitted with a heating pad and thermostat. Over the course of eight-days we heated each roost box in sequence to near thermoneutral Troost for two days. Bats preferentially selected heated roosts over unheated roosts but, contrary to our prediction, group size decreased when Troost was much greater than Ta (i.e., when the benefits of a warm roost should have been highest). Our results suggest that social thermoregulation and the availability of warm roosts influence aggregation in bats and have implications for the potential of summer habitat protection and enhancement to help bat populations in the face of threats like white-nose syndrome.