Abstract
Body composition of little brown bats, Myotis lucifugus was quantified to evaluate the proximate costs of reproduction in a small temperate mammal. Changes in the major components of body composition (water, lean dry, and fat mass) during the breeding season were analyzed in adult females and in young during the postnatal growth period. Changes in body composition of reproductive females were small relative to their level of reproductive effort, suggesting that most of the increased costs of reproduction are not met by mobilizing body reserves. The reduction of lean dry and fat mass in adult females suggest that mineral and fat stores are mobilized to promote high postnatal growth rates in pups. Changes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of adult females support the hypothesis that increased food intake and assimilation are the primary morphological and physiological responses to the increased energy demands of lactation. A two-week period of linear growth during the postnatal period when pups were dependent on their mothers was followed by a rapid transition to adult body composition.
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