Abstract
Selection of habitat is a key determinant of reproductive success, and the process of finding and choosing these sites is often influenced by the presence of conspecifics. Many bats frequently switch roosts, and some bats repeatedly find new roosts. To find roosts with conspecifics or group members, bats can use social cues. However, most research on how bats use social cues for roost-finding has focused on acoustic cues. Here, we review and discuss the evidence for bat roost selection using scent cues from guano and urine stains, which are present at most bat roosts. We outline reasons why bats might, or might not, use scent in roost detection and selection, and we review evidence on the possible use of guano and urine in roost-finding from eight studies with 12 bat species (across four families). Overall, the sparse evidence that exists indicates that scent cues from guano and urine are not a strong and consistent lure in the species and situations that were tested. Most studies had unclear results or found no effect. Two of the eight studies found weak experimental evidence for bats using guano or urine to select a roosting site. Even if guano and urine can indicate the presence of bats at a roost, it is possible that the resulting olfactory cues do not contain sufficient social information to be used in roost selection, in contrast to olfactory cues from scent marking. Studies of how bats use sensory cues beyond sound could contribute to a better understanding of bat social behavior and roosting ecology.
Highlights
Selection of habitat is a key determinant of reproductive success, and the process of finding and choosing these sites is often influenced by the presence of conspecifics
Three of the studies that looked at the effect of guano and urine on roost location looked at the effect of acoustic cues and found that while guano did not readily attract bats, acoustic cues had strong and clear effects on attracting bats to roosts (Brown et al, 2020; Ruczyński & Kalko, 2007; Ruczyński et al, 2009)
This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that scent cues are not as reliable of an indicator of the immediate presence of conspecifics or the current viability of a roost, when compared to the acoustic cues of bat calls
Summary
To assess the capacity of bats to use scent in roost selection, it is useful to review the basic structures for perceiving odors. Beyond serving as a cue for roost location, feces and urine can communicate important social information in many other mammals (Beynon & Hurst, 2004; Delahay et al, 2000; Eppley et al, 2016; Ferkin & Johnston, 1995; Heth et al, 1998; Hurst et al, 2001; Ramsay & Giller, 1996) The use of these scent cues does not imply any adaptive trait for enhanced olfaction, because bats with a weak sense of olfaction could learn to associate the scent of guano and urine with the reward of finding a new roost site. Bats possess olfaction and could plausibly use scent cues in roost choice, other sensory cues might be more detected or more salient
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