Bat Species Diversity Research Articles

Bat Species Diversity in the Merapoh Rich Limestone-rich Area within Lipis National Geopark, Malaysia

Merapoh, Pahang, is an area rich with limestone karst located within the Lipis National Geopark and home to the Sungai Relau gate of Taman Negara Pahang, a totally protected rainforest in Malaysia. Much of the research conducted here is mainly inside the National Park, with few published faunal records for the Merapoh caves. This study compiled the data on the bat species diversity of eight Merapoh caves (March 2020 to March 2022) using mist nets and harp traps. Our results indicate that Chiroptera diversity at Merapoh caves is rich, with a total of 32 species recorded from 865 individuals and four new locality records for the State of Pahang, namely Rousettus leschenaultii, Lyroderma lyra, Rhinolophus coelophyllus and Hipposideros pomona. Gua Gunting has the highest diversity of bats recorded in this study (19 species). Significant Merapoh caves with bat colony roosts in Merapoh include Gua Jinjang Pelamin (Eonycteris spelaea & Rousettus leschenaultii), Gua Tahi Bintang (Hipposideros larvatus) and Gua Pasir Besar (Miniopterus medius). Rhinolophus convexus, previously recorded only in upper montane rainforests, was also recorded in Merapoh caves indicating that this species can also be found in lower elevations than previously thought. Based on the findings of the current study and additional records from two previous studies, the Merapoh bat species diversity checklist totalled up to 38 species. On the whole, the rich bat diversity in Merapoh is reflective of its immense limestone karst landscape, which highlights the reason Lipis National Geopark has been recently gazetted. Future bat research should continue here and in other karsts within Lipis Geopark to sustainably conserve biological diversity, manage geological structures and raise awareness amongst the locals to appreciate their national heritage.

Extensive longevity and DNA virus-driven adaptation in nearctic Myotis bats.

The rich species diversity of bats encompasses extraordinary adaptations, including extreme longevity and tolerance to infectious disease. While traditional approaches using genetic screens in model organisms have uncovered some fundamental processes underlying these traits, model organisms do not possess the variation required to understand the evolution of traits with complex genetic architectures. In contrast, the advent of genomics at tree-of-life scales enables us to study the genetic interactions underlying these processes by leveraging millions of years of evolutionary trial-and-error. Here, we use the rich species diversity of the genus Myotis - one of the longest-living clades of mammals - to study the evolution of longevity-associated traits and infectious disease using functional evolutionary genomics. We generated reference genome assemblies and cell lines for 8 closely-related (∼11 MYA) species of Myotis rich in phenotypic and life history diversity. Using genome-wide screens of positive selection, analysis of structural variation and copy number variation, and functional experiments in primary cell lines, we identify new patterns of adaptation in longevity, cancer resistance, and viral interactions both within Myotis and across bats. We find that the rapid evolution of lifespan in Myotis has some of the most significant variations in cancer risk across mammals, and demonstrate a unique DNA damage response in the long-lived M. lucifugus using primary cell culture models. Furthermore, we find evidence of abundant adaptation in response to DNA viruses, but not RNA viruses, in Myotis and other bats. This is in contrast to these patterns of adaptation in humans, which might contribute to the importance of bats as a reservoir of zoonotic viruses. Together, our results demonstrate the utility of leveraging natural variation to understand the genomics of traits with implications for human health and suggest important pleiotropic relationships between infectious disease tolerance and cancer resistance.

Bat Conservation Strategy In Duasudara Mountain Nature Reserve As Ecotourism Potential Of North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Sulawesi is a geologically complex island with unique fauna, including significant bat populations. This study aimed to identify bat species diversity, endemism, conservation status, and recommend conservation strategies in the Gunung Duasudara Nature Reserve. The research, conducted from May to August 2018 using mist nets across seven vegetation types, recorded 15 bat species with 475 individuals. Notable species include Acerodon celebensis, Boneia bidens, and Thoopterus nigrescens, categorized as near threatened by the IUCN. Newly discovered species M. tailiniensis, R. tangkokoensis, and T. tailiniensis exhibit distinct characteristics. The study's analyses suggest that maintaining the Nature Reserve’s status is crucial for its development as a center for education, research, and ecotourism, emphasizing the need for supportive regional policies and stakeholder involvement to ensure sustainable conservation efforts.

Species Diversity and Elevational Distribution of Bats in Nepal

Species Diversity and Elevational Distribution of Bats in Nepal

Unexpected bat community changes along an urban–rural gradient in the Berlin–Brandenburg metropolitan area

Urbanization gradients are increasingly used in ecological studies to discover responses of species communities to different intensities of human-induced habitat transformation. Here, we investigated patterns of bat communities against the background of different urbanization levels using a priori defined urbanization categories based on distance classes (5 km intervals) along a linear transect from the urban core of the city of Berlin westwards into the rural outskirts of the state of Brandenburg. Using linear-mixed effects models, we found that “distance class”, as a proxy for urbanization level, is a meaningful and suitable predictor of bat species richness and diversity. We observed an unexpectedly sudden increase in bat species richness and diversity and changes in species-specific activity levels relatively close to the urban center at the transition between urban and peri-urban areas. This change suggests a relevant influence of the peri-urban areas as a “buffer zone” for specific bat species not able to adapt to the heavily modified inner core of the metropolitan area. Although we could demonstrate that anthropogenic noise and artificial light have the potential to predict the variability of bat species activity along the urban–rural gradient, the actual influence on observed shifts in the bat community needs further research.

Unraveling the diversity of Trypanosoma species from Central Mexico: molecular confirmation on the presence of Trypanosoma dionisii and novel Neobat linages

Bats are one of the groups of mammals with the highest number of associated Trypanosoma taxa. There are 50 Trypanosoma species and genotypes infecting more than 75 species of bats across five continents. However, in Mexico, the inventory of species of the genus Trypanosoma associated with bats is limited to only two species (Trypanosoma vespertilionis and Trypanosoma cruzi) even though 140 species of bats inhabit this country. Specifically, 91 bat species have been recorded in the state of Veracruz, but records of trypanosomatids associated with this mammalian group are absent. Due to the complex Trypanosoma–bat relationship, the high diversity of bat species in Veracruz, as well as the lack of records of trypanosomatids associated with bats for this state, the aim of this work was to analyze the diversity of species of the genus Trypanosoma and their presence from a bat community in the central area of the state of Veracruz, Mexico. During the period of January to August 2022 in the Tequecholapa Environmental Management Unit where bats were collected using mist nets and blood samples were obtained from their thumbs. We extracted genetic material and amplified a fragment of 800 bp of the 18S ribosomal gene of the genus Trypanosoma by conventional PCR. The positive amplicons were sequenced, and phylogenetic reconstruction was performed to identify the parasite species. A total of 285 bats (149♀, 136♂) belonging to 13 species from 10 genera and a single family (Phyllostomidae) were collected. Twenty-three specimens from six species tested positive for the presence of Trypanosoma dionisii, Trypanosoma sp. Neobat 4, and a potential novelty species provisionally named as Trypanosoma sp. Neobat 6. The results of the present work increase the number of species of the genus Trypanosoma infecting bats in Mexico and in the Neotropical region.

Distribution of bat species in Western Asia: Occurrence records from the Western Asia Bat Research Network (WAB-Net) project.

Western Asia represents a mixing pot of diverse bat species with distributions spanning across other geographic regions. Yet, relative to other regions, there is a significant gap in coordinated bat research in Western Asia, thereby resulting in a relatively limited number of curated occurrence records. The Western Asia Bat Research Network (WAB-Net) project was created to strengthen research capacity and knowledge of the diversity and distribution of bat species in a little-studied region, as well as to collect data to characterise the diversity and prevalence of coronaviruses in diverse bat species. Over a four-year period (2018-2022), we documented 4,278 individual records for 41 bat species using a cross-sectional survey approach at 50 sites in seven Western Asian countries, specifically Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan and Turkiye. At each site, we captured, on average, 90 individual bats (range: 9-131) over multiple consecutive nights and used standardised methods to collect demographic and morphological data from captured individuals. We additionally completed a systematic evaluation of environmental characterisation and human-bat interactions at all 50 sites. Here, we report individual occurrence records and site conditions from this multi-country, multi-year sampling effort.

Study on the relation of the characteristics of the capture sites with the Leptospira spp. occurrence in bats and rodents from Yucatan, Mexico

This study aims to describe the natural Leptospira occurrence in small mammals from Yucatan, Mexico, and to explore the relation between the characteristics of the capture sites and the Leptospira occurrence. Bats and rodents were captured in five sites of Yucatan state, and from them, a kidney fragment was collected that was used in the genomic DNA extraction. Leptospira DNA was identified by PCR targeting the 16S-rRNA and LipL32 genes. Additionally, a bioinformatic analysis was carried out to know the Leptospira species and was corroborated with a phylogenetic tree. The assemblage of small mammals was compound of 82 (51.2 %) bats and 78 (48.8 %) rodents. A global frequency (bats plus rodents) of Leptospira occurrence of 21.2 % (34/160) was observed; in bats, it was 21.9 % (18/82), and in rodents, 20.5 % (16/78). The phylogenetic trees based on LipL32 gene showed that the recovered sequences most closely resemble the species L. borgpetersenii and L. noguchii. The ordination of the capture sites with tropical deciduous forests as original vegetation is more related to the abundance of Leptospira-infected rodents. The ordination of the capture sites with tropical sub-deciduous forests as original vegetation is more related to the diversity of Leptospira-infected bat species. The canonical ordering of the capture sites is by the original vegetation type and the diversity and abundance of Leptospira-infected bat and rodent species.

Bats as indicators of ecological resilience in a megacity

AbstractUrbanization has transformed more than 50% of the land area and brought the emergence of a new humanized-based ecosystem. In answer to this, urban systems have looked for become resilient. Thus, urban landscapes must enhance their resilience capacities; robustness, adaptability, and transformability. However, there is a necessity of a well performing and easy gathering indicators. In this paper, we propose that bats are a good indicator of city’s capacity to be resilient. We used bat permanence, species diversity, and activities to analyze Mexico City resilience capacities. We used citizen science to register bat sounds around the city. From these data we identified bat species and two main activities: passes and hunting buzzes. Data showed that the east and center area of the city had the lower species richness and relative abundance, while south was the richest. This diversity patterns were in response to different habitat characteristics, mainly those related to landscape. However, activities and permanence were strongly related with human presence. The bat permanence modeled, indicated that bat community structure could be shaped under changing scenarios. Due to their differential sensitivity bats are good indicators of habitat changes in urban landscapes. Cities seeking resilience should perform planned-habitat management to achieve a bat-friendly status and promote the ecosystem services that bats can provide.

Bats (Chiroptera) of spruce forests in the Ukrainian Carpathians

Bat communities in monoculture spruce plantations (Skolivski Beskydy NNP, Gorgany (NNP Syniohora) and Chornohora areas) and spruce forests of the upper mountain forest belt (Verkhovynskyi NNP, Karpatskyi NNP) were studied by recording echolocation calls to assess the importance of such ecosystems for this group of animals. 11 species were recorded at the sample plots: Northern bat Eptesicus nilssonii, Serotine bat Eptesicus serotinus, Brand’s bat/Whiskered bat Myotis brandtii/mystacinus, Daubenton’s bat Myotis daubentonii, Greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis, Common noctule Nyctalus noctula, Brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus, Nathusius’s bat Pipistrellus nathusii, Common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Parti-coloured bat Vespertilio murinus. According to the degree of dominance (total number of registered calls), E. nilssonii was the most numerous (32.7%). M. mystacinus/brandtii (25.6%) and P. nathusii (18.9%) were somewhat less numerous. According to the spatial distribution (presence in the sample plots), only the pair M. mystacinus/brandtii was detected in all the studied plots. Of the other species, E. nilssonii (58.8%) and P. nathusii (41.2%) were most frequently represented. For the sibling species M. mystacinus/M. brandtii no special habitat requirements were found, but the high frequency of their observations in all ranges of forest biotopes shows them as typical "forest". The dominance of E. nilssonii in spruce forests confirms that this species mainly uses semi-boreal coniferous forests in the Central Europe. The highest value of Shannon's biodiversity index was found in spruce forests of lower altitudes, Skolivski Beskydy NNP (H' = 1.616) and Syniohora NNP (H' = 1.627). Probably, coniferous forests at lower altitudes can be more favourable foraging biotopes for representatives of populations that are not topically associated with such forests: P. pygmaeus, P. pipistrellus, V. murinus, N. noctula. The observed level of nocturnal activity and species diversity of bats in spruce forests suggests that they may be important to their local populations. Coniferous monocultures can play an important role for local bat populations by acting as migratory corridors and foraging sites.

DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversification and taxonomic discordance among bats and birds within Sub-Saharan Africa

Cryptic species present a challenge for conservation, as species diversity may remain undetected. In zoological research, DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) has become a useful heuristic tool for aiding species resolution and informing species discovery. Despite concerted efforts to genetically barcode bats and birds, comprehensive assessments have yet to be undertaken across the Afrotropics. We retrieved available DNA barcodes of native breeding Afrotropical bat and bird species. Using Bayesian phylogenetic modelling, we assessed DNA barcode performance at species identification, and sought to detect notable intraspecific clade partitioning hinting at cryptic speciation. Available DNA barcodes represent only 42.3% and 23.6% of the relevant bat and bird species diversity, respectively, with only 18.7% of bat species and 7.2% of bird species having geographically spread records. DNA barcodes afforded greater taxonomic resolution of Afrotropical bird species than of bats (96.8% vs. 84.0%), with bats having a higher proportion of species non-monophyly (25.5% vs. 4.8%). Well-supported (≥ 95% posterior probability) clade partitioning was inferable from twenty-one bat species and fifteen bird species, and a further single under-sampled bat species and fifteen such bird species showed deep (> 2.0%) intraspecific divergences. These phylogenetic signatures allude to cryptic speciation within these volant taxa, and serve to prompt more comprehensive assessments of Afrotropical fauna. These findings also indirectly affirm the importance of paleoclimatic refugia to endemic vertebrate diversity. The current taxonomic status of birds is better supported by this molecular evidence than that of bats.

Aerial insectivorous bat responses to 30 years of forest insularization in a dam-created Amazonian archipelagic landscape

Mega dams result in habitat loss and fragmentation in lowland tropical forests, compromising the diversity and ecosystem functioning in remnant habitat islands. We investigated the structure of aerial insectivorous bat assemblages within insular forest patches created by a vast ∼30-year-old hydropower reservoir and adjacent mainland continuous forests in Central Amazonia. Bats were surveyed using passive bat recorders across 34 sites. We assessed bat assemblage responses to landscape insularization and estimated the contribution of assemblage-wide components of β-diversity. Additionally, we assessed the effects of local vegetation, and both patch and landscape variables on bat species diversity. Continuous forest sites in the mainland retained higher species richness and bat activity compared to islands, leading to divergent species composition between forest sites. Larger islands (>100 ha) and continuous forests tended to share a similar assemblage composition manly drive by species richness differences with a minor contribution of species replacements. Moreover, local vegetation structure, island size, and landscape edge area exerted significant effects on species richness, bat activity, and species composition, with small degraded islands and landscapes dominated by forest edges exhibiting pervasive species loss. Our study highlights the detrimental impacts of forest fragmentation induced by large dams on aerial insectivorous bat assemblages. If new dam projects are inevitable, we recommend the creation of extensive protected areas in land-bridge island systems and their adjacent continuous forests. Those protected sites can minimize the negative impacts of small islands, safeguarding forest quality for forest-dependent bats, which ensures the continuity of their ecosystem services.

A New Species of Vampirolepis (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) from the Bat Artibeus lituratus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil

The Amazon biome has a great diversity of bat species. In the state of Acre, Brazil, there is an estimated occurrence of 64 bat species with the species of the genus Artibeus as one of the most abundant. Despite their abundance and widespread distribution within the biome, the helminth fauna from Amazonian bats is still poorly known. In this way, the objective of this study is to describe a new species of cestode from the genus Vampirolepis found in A. lituratus, collected at the Parque Estadual do Chandless, a natural preserved area, located in the Purus River Basin, Southwest Amazon, the state of Acre. The new species of Vampirolepis is distinguished from the others by the number and size of hooks, testes disposition, size of the cirrus sac, ovaries and internal and external seminal vesicles. Additionally, molecular study showed that this forms a paraphyletic clade with Vampirolepis elongatus.

New distribution record of the Greater False Vampire Bat (Megaderma lyra, Geoffroy 1810) from North-Western Himalaya

India has been stated to have 10% of the world's total bat's diversity. The present survey was aimed to study the bat species diversity, distribution and activity patterns in north-western Himalayan region of India. Field surveys were conducted and echolocation calls were recorded using bat detector, Echometer touch 2 in Shiwalik ranges of Himalaya. The Greater False Vampire Bat (Megaderma lyra) has a broad distribution range that stretches from south to south east Asia. In India the distribution of the species was mostly recorded from southern subtropical coastal regions and north-eastern subtropical moist evergreen forests. In the present study The Greater False Vampire Bat (Megaderma lyra) has been recorded for the first time from Garhwal region of north-western Himalayas. Greater False Vampire Bat (Megaderma lyra) having long forearm (>6.63 ± 0.03cm) and lengthy ear (>3.66 ± 0.08cm), which is a distinguishable feature of the family Megadermatidae. The peak frequency (FMaxE) of echolocation was recorded as 50.295 ± 9.18 kHz. This frequency was initiated at 108.20 ± 2.51 kHz and terminated at 30.76 ± 1.37 kHz. The call structure recorded was very distinguishable and specific to this family.

Preliminary Characterization of Facial and Oral Microbiomes of Three Bat Species Commonly Occurring in Northwest Kansas

Various bat species are at risk due to White-Nose Syndrome, a disease rapidly spreading throughout the United States. Metagenomic research on the microbiome of bats’ mouths and noses may provide helpful information to characterize how bats’ microbiomes interact with White-Nose Syndrome so that this disease may be mitigated. However, minimal research has been conducted in characterizing bats’ oral and facial microbial populations. To address this issue, we analyzed the oral and facial microbiomes of bat species commonly occurring in Northwestern Kansas. Oral and facial swabs were taken from Tricolor, Big Brown, and Evening bat (n=1 per species). Bacterial DNA was isolated from swabs, and the V3/V4 region of the 16s DNA was amplified using polymerase chain reactions (PCR). The PCR products were purified and sequenced. Sequencing data was then analyzed using Galaxy bioinformatics software. Results showed that the majority of bacteria present in facial swabs was Alteromonas, reflecting the high mineral content in the water source that bats use. Oral bacterial population profiles of Tricolor and Big Brown bats were more diverse than their respective facial samples. In contrast, oral and facial swabs from the Evening bat had similar bacterial population profiles. Our preliminary study showed that the oral samples appeared more diverse in bacterial populations than in facial. Therefore, our future studies should investigate the difference between oral and facial bacteria population profiles in more detail by investigating a larger sample and increasing bat species diversity. Further research should also include the seasonal effects on bacterial populations. The College of St. Scholastica Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Diverse DNA virus genomes identified in fecal samples of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) captured in Chiricahua Mountains of southeast Arizona (USA)

Bats (order Chiroptera) are some of the most abundant mammals on earth and their species ecology strongly influences zoonotic potential. While substantial research has been conducted on bat-associated viruses, particularly on those that can cause disease in humans and/or livestock, globally, limited research has focused on endemic bats in the USA. The southwest region of the US is of particular interest because of its high diversity of bat species. We identified 39 single-stranded DNA virus genomes in the feces of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) sampled in the Rucker Canyon (Chiricahua Mountains) of southeast Arizona (USA). Twenty-eight of these belong to the virus families Circoviridae (n = 6), Genomoviridae (n = 17), and Microviridae (n = 5). Eleven viruses cluster with other unclassified cressdnaviruses. Most of the viruses identified represent new species. Further research on identification of novel bat-associated cressdnaviruses and microviruses is needed to provide greater insights regarding their co-evolution and ecology relative to bats.

Vanilla Bats: Insectivorous Bat Diversity in the Vanilla Agroecosystems of Northeastern Madagascar

Due to global agricultural expansion and intensification, many animal species must now survive within a landscape dominated by agroecosystems. For bats, agroecosystems can provide a valuable foraging-habitat, and many species of bats thrive within such habitats whilst also providing a range of ecosystem services for farmers. Despite this, bat usage of many agroecosystem types remains unstudied. Here, we investigated the diversity of insectivorous bats in the vanilla agroecosystems of northeastern Madagascar, the world's principal vanilla-growing region. To assess bat diversity, we used a passive acoustic survey technique, and we identified and classified bat species diversity using PCA and DFA analysis of echolocation call acoustic parameters. In total, we were able to detect the presence of at least 13 different bat species within Madagascar's vanilla agroecosystems, seven of which we were able to confidently identify to species level. However, due to our conservative classification approach, the true diversity of bats in vanilla agroecosystems is likely to be higher. The results of this study indicate that Madagascar's vanilla agroecosystems represent suitable foraging habitat for numerous bat species, particularly forest-specialists, which is a highly encouraging finding for the conservation of Madagascar's bats. Expansion of vanilla agroecosystems is therefore likely to provide valuable habitat extensions for Madagascar's forest bats in the future, provided this expansion does not come at the expense of existing largely-undisturbed natural habitats.

Diversity and Ecology of phyllostomid Bat Species (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Caparaó National Park, Southeastern Brazil

Diversity and Ecology of phyllostomid Bat Species (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Caparaó National Park, Southeastern Brazil

Interpretation and application of bat diversity and phylogeny

Brock Fenton has devoted his career to the study of the ecological adaptations of bats and their diversity. In this paper, we describe his interest and research on the subject of bat evolution and how he has used phylogenetic hypotheses to revise our understanding of divergences and convergences of specific traits within this mammalian order. While he has always been fascinated by the evolution of echolocation, he has also written about the evolution of reproductive, morphological, and behavioural traits and his recent methods of documenting diversity incorporates his lifelong love of photography. We describe these and taxonomic attempts to honour his contributions to the study of bat species diversity. Brock has supported hundreds of students and colleagues with his endless enthusiasm and generosity and inspired them with his ongoing research on bats.

BATS OF PULAU TINGGI, JOHOR, MALAYSIA

A series of bat surveys took place in Pulau Tinggi from July 2019 to September 2019. A total of 242 individuals representing 15 species from six families were captured from a cumulative effort of 462 trap nights. The most caught species for frugivorous bats was Cynopterus brachyotis (n = 150) while for insectivorous bats, it was Hipposideros cervinus (n = 20). Pulau Tinggi has a high density of bat species per area (1.01 sp/km2) when compared to other tourist islands on Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast [e.g., Pulau Tioman (0.13 sp/km2), Pulau Perhentian (0.5 sp/km2) and Pulau Redang (0.4 sp/km2)]. As a result, high levels of disturbance such as tourism and habitat loss may negatively affect the diversity of bat species on the island. Because of time constraints and the study did not cover the entire island, information on the diversity of bats in Pulau Tinggi is still inadequate. Long-term monitoring of bat diversity covering forest areas throughout the island needs to be conducted immediately to identify the number of species, their distribution and ecology. This information is important in formulating a strategic plan for bat conservation in Pulau Tinggi.