Postnatal Growth and Age Estimation in the Ashy Leaf-Nosed Bat,Hipposideros cineraceus

Abstract

We quantified changes in body mass, forearm length, and the total length of the epiphyseal gap of the fourth metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the ashy leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros cineraceus) based on mark-recapture data obtained in Fangkong Cave in Hekou, Yunnan Province, China. We used these data to develop empirical growth curves, to derive growth rates, to establish age-predictive equations, and to compare growth parameters based on three nonlinear growth models. Forearm length and body mass of pups followed a linear pattern of growth until day 17, with mean growth rates of 0.81 mm/day and 0.09 g/day, respectively and thereafter their growth rates increased more slowly. The length of the epiphyseal gap initially increased linearly up to day 13 and then decreased linearly at a mean rate of 0.07 mm/day until day 37. An equation for estimating age based on forearm length was valid when this dimension was ≤ 27.6 mm, whereas the equation based on the length of the epiphyseal gap was valid for forearm lengths...