Timing and Pattern of Molt in Kuhl's Bat,Pipistrellus kuhlii, in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Kuhl's bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii) from Unizah Province, near the center of Saudi Arabia, was studied monthly from May 2005 to August 2006 to investigate the timing and patterns of molt. Adults and juveniles undergo a single molt extending annually over a five month period in summer from late April until September and following the breeding season. Few males of Kuhl's bat initiate molt before females but the majority of both sexes molt in July and terminated the molt almost simultaneously. Molting begins on the dorsum and then spreads to the ventrum once the dorsal molt is completed. Our findings provide comparable observations to previous studies on molt in bats suggesting that bats appear to exhibit a species-specific timing and sequence of molt.