Abstract
Determining the detailed movements of individual animals often requires them to carry tracking devices, but tracking broad-scale movement of small bats (<30 g) has been limited by transmitter technology and long-term attachment methods. This limitation inhibits our understanding of bat dispersal and migration, particularly in the context of emerging conservation issues such as fatalities at wind turbines and diseases. We tested a novel method of attaching lightweight global positioning system (GPS) tags and geolocating data loggers to small bats. We used monofilament, synthetic, absorbable sutures to secure GPS tags and data loggers to the skin of anesthetized big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) in Colorado and hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) in California. GPS tags and data loggers were sutured to 17 bats in this study. Three tagged bats were recaptured 7 months after initial deployment, with tags still attached; none of these bats showed ill effects from the tag. No severe injuries were apparent upon recapture of 6 additional bats that carried tags up to 26 days after attachment; however, one of the bats exhibited skin chafing. Use of absorbable sutures to affix small tracking devices seems to be a safe, effective method for studying movements of bats over multiple months, although additional testing is warranted. This new attachment method has the potential to quickly advance our understanding of small bats, particularly as more sophisticated miniature tracking devices (e.g., satellite tags) become available.
Highlights
Bats are important components of many ecosystems, with ecological roles including insectivory, pollination, and dispersal of nutrients between ecosystems (Kunz et al 2011)
Hoary bats comprise approximately 38% of the hundreds of thousands of bat fatalities occurring at wind turbines in the United States and Canada each year, and most of these fatalities occur during their autumn migration and mating period (Arnett and Baerwald 2013)
Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Summary
Bats are important components of many ecosystems, with ecological roles including insectivory, pollination, and dispersal of nutrients between ecosystems (Kunz et al 2011). Their evolutionary success is attributable to their ability to fly in the dark, but this characteristic makes it extremely difficult to study their behavior. Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) range across much of North America during the summer months, but details of their continental migrations or location of their wintering grounds are limited (Cryan 2003; Baerwald et al 2014; Cryan et al 2014) (Figure 1).
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