Size-specific resource use in juvenile little brown bats, Myotis lucifugus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): Is there an ontogenetic shift?

Abstract

This paper correlates shifts in habitat use and diet with morphological transitions occurring during postpartum growth and development (ontogenetic niche) in little brown bats, Myotis lucifugus. Juveniles were captured in mist nets as they foraged in different microhabitats that were defined and quantified using "clutter indices" ranging from 0 (least cluttered) to 5 (most cluttered). I analyzed fecal samples from captured individuals to assess diet. Chi-squared analyses showed that there was a significant difference in habitat use and diet among juveniles captured in early, mid, and late July. Juveniles with smaller wings foraged in the least cluttered habitats, whereas juveniles with larger wings foraged in habitats with a high degree of clutter. Juveniles with larger wings were captured in all microhabitats, whereas those with smaller wings were captured predominantly in open microhabitats. Juveniles with relatively higher aspect ratios and lower wing loadings used a greater diversity of habitats than those with lower aspect ratios and higher wing loadings. In addition, differences in diet were significant and correlated with wing size. My results suggest resource partitioning between juveniles as a function of wing size. These data have important implications regarding how relative size among juveniles may effect intraspecific structuring of populations.