Hibernation in warm hibernacula by free-ranging Formosan leaf-nosed bats, Hipposideros terasensis, in subtropical Taiwan

Abstract

The subtropical Formosan leaf-nosed bats, Hipposideros terasensis (Hipposideridae), show little activity during winter. It has never been determined whether in winter they exhibit hibernation and multi-day periods of low body temperature. The objectives of this study were to understand the winter activity pattern of H. terasensis and to examine whether it enters hibernation during winter. We monitored the skin temperature (T (sk)) of nine free-ranging H. terasensis by attaching temperature-sensitive transmitters during the winters of 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. The results showed that H. terasensis entered hibernation from late December to early March. H. terasensis, however, differs from temperate hibernating bats in several ways: (1) it is capable of hibernation at roost temperature (T (r)) and T (sk)>20°C; (2) hibernation at high T (r) and T (sk) does not lead to a relatively high arousal frequency; and (3) adults do not increase body mass in autumn prior to hibernation. To test the hypothesis that H. terasensis feeds frequently during the hibernation period to compensate for the high energetic demands of hibernating in warm hibernacula, we recorded the number and timing of bats that emerged from and entered into a hibernaculum, which contained more than 1,000 bats. From 30 December 2007 to 29 February 2008, an average of only 8.4 bats (<1%) per night (29 nights) emerged from the hibernaculum. Adult bats lost an average of 13-14% of body mass during an approximately 70-day hibernation period. We suggest that H. terasensis might have remarkably low torpid metabolic rates during hibernation.