Macroderma Gigas Research Articles

Are Cane Toads Rhinella marina impacting Ghost Bats Macroderma gigas in Northern Australia?

Faunal studies in the Riversleigh/Boodjamulla area of north-western Queensland undertaken between 1990 and 2011 revealed a decline in the number of Ghost Bats Macroderma gigas. Cane Toads Rhinella ...

Using genetic data to predict the vulnerability of a native predator to a toxic invader

Australia has no native toad species, and as a consequence, many Australian pre - dators lack resistance to the toxins of the invasive cane toad Rhinella marina, and die if they ingest one of these toads. Resistance is conferred by a small and consistent genetic change, so genetic data can provide a rapid, non-invasive way to clarify the vulnerability of as-yet-unstudied taxa. To evaluate the hypothesis that a recent decline of ghost bat Macroderma gigas populations in tropical Australia is due to ingestion of cane toads, we sequenced the H1-H2 extracellular domain of the sodium-potassium-ATPase. Two anuran-eating Asian relatives of the Australian species possess the genes that confer bufotoxin resistance, but the ghost bat does not. Like varanid lizards (major victims of the toad invasion), Australian ghost bats appear to have lost their physiological resistance to toad toxins but retained generalist foraging behaviours, potentially including a readiness to attack toads as well as frogs. Our genetic data suggest that cane toads may imperil populations of this iconic predator, and detailed behavioural and ecological studies are warranted.

Predation of pitfall-trapped rodents by the ghost bat, Macroderma gigas

Pitfall trapping for wildlife research is accompanied by the risk of predation of captured animals. However, predation events are sometimes difficult to observe and not subsequently reported. We describe the first known records of predation of pitfall-trapped animals by ghost bats. We discuss these observations in the context of ghost bat hunting behaviour and the implications for pitfall trapping studies in northern Australia.

A new genus and species of false vampire (Chiroptera: Megadermatidae)from peninsular Thailand.

A new genus and associated species of false vampire, family Megadermatidae, are described based on three specimens from Bala Forest, Narathiwat Province, peninsular Thailand. The new taxon is characterised by a unique combination of distinctive dental, cranial, and external characters, some of which are shared with exclusively African genera and some with Asian genera. These characters are comparable to, or exceed in number, those differentiating currently recognised genera in the family Megadermatidae. They include the absence of a first upper premolar; greatly enlarged upper canine without an anterolingual cingular cusp but with a robust posterolingual cusp; unmodified upper first molar with the preparacrista subequal in length to the postmetacrista, the metastyle not reduced and situated labially; robust lower canine without an anterolingual cusp; the first lower premolar enlarged, equal to or larger than the second lower premolar. In the skull, there is a pronounced rostral depression but no well developed frontal shield with preorbital and/or postorbital processes; the coronoid process is greatly enlarged in each half mandible. Externally, the body size is relatively large and the posterior noseleaf is rounded. The baculum has a robust shaft and two short prongs-the bacula of all five other species of megadermatid are illustrated for the first time; extraordinarily, those of Macroderma gigas and Megaderma lyra comprise two separate bones. DNA barcoding indicate a genetic divergence of about 20 percent (sequence divergence in the mitochondrial gene CO1) between the new genus and species of Megaderma and Cardioderma. Currently, despite numerous bat surveys in peninsular Thailand, the new genus is only known from Bala Forest. The small area of this forest and the very low capture rate suggest that the new species may be extremely rare. Its natural history is little known, although its robust dental and cranial features when coupled with chance observations of its feeding behaviour, suggest it may specialise in eating large beetles. Its conservation status is considered to be at risk owing to the rapid loss of forest habitat in much of the Thai-Malay peninsula.

Minerals of the Wooltana Cave, Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Analysis of guano specimens from Wooltana cave, formerly occupied by ghost bats (Macroderma gigas), shows the principal mineral is whitlockite with seven other crystalline phases. These include dittmarite NH4MgPO4 ·H2O, biphosphammite (NH4K)H2PO4, syngenite K2Ca(SO4)2 ·H2O, görgeyite K2Ca5(SO4)6 ·H2O, brushite CaHPO4 ·2H2O, gypsum CaSO4 ·2H2O and whewellite CaC2O4 ·H2O. The mineralogy of the guano samples was determined by powder X-ray diffraction and field emission SEM and the phase analysis was quantified by Reitveld methods. Dittmarite is a very rare mineral and only reported from a small number of localities. It cannot be formed directly in caves as it is normally crystallised from boiling water. We propose that it is formed by decomposition of struvite, NH4MgPO4 ·6H2O, in the presence of ammonia arising from the fresh bat guano. The minerals dittmarite, struvite and newberyite, MgHPO4 ·3H2O, can transform between themselves in caves and in kidney stones (in vitro) according to the conditions. Two minerals, görgeyite, and whewellite, have not previously been reported from guano deposits. Gypsum and brushite are present in some samples and show up to 18% PO4 for SO4 in gypsum substitution and up to 18% SO4 for PO4 in brushite. Some pure end-member crystals were also identified. The whitlockite is also substituted by sulfate by up to 30% and averaging 10%. The cave walls are dolomite and a speleothem present shows calcite, magnesium calcite, gypsum and leonite, K2Mg(SO4)2 ·4H2O an unusual sulfate mineral. The extent and presence of the sulfates and of whewellite confirms that substantial ground water has entered the cave consistent with the known wetter past climate.

Second record of the pale brown ghost bat Diclidurus isabella (Thomas, 1920) (Chiroptera, Emballonuridae) from Brazil and range extension into southwestern Brazilian Amazonia

AbstractWe present a new record of

Chapter 3: The Mammals of the Mingan Mountains, Luzon: Evidence for a New Center of Mammalian Endemism

We conducted an elevational transect survey of mammals on the highest peak in the Mingan Mountains of Aurora and Nueva Ecija provinces in the central Sierra Madre Range of Luzon from May to August 2006 and documented 35 species of mammals. These included one shrew (Soricidae), six fruit bats (Pteropodidae), one ghost bat (Megadermatidae), three horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae), three roundleaf bats (Hipposideridae), four evening bats (Vespertilionidae), one macaque (Cercopithecidae), 12 mice and rats (Muridae), two civets (Viverridae), one wild pig (Suidae), and one deer (Cervidae). Our survey of this small, poorly known mountain range included the discovery of two new species of forest mice (Apomys), a new species of shrew-mouse (Archboldomys), a probable new species of shrew-rat (Rhynchomys), and an unidentified species of tube-nosed bat (Murina). Species richness of bats decreased with increasing elevation, whereas that for native non-volant small mammals increased with increasing elevation up to 1677 m, then declined at 1681 and 1785 m. Statistically significant diel activity and bait preferences were observed among the native non-volant small mammals. Only the two species of small forest mice (Apomys microdon and A. musculus) were captured exclusively above ground; the other non-volant small mammals were nearly always captured on the ground. The Mingan Mountains, with either three or four endemic species, are clearly a significant center of mammalian endemism, deserving of conservation.

The first record of Diclidurus ingens Hernandez-Camacho, 1955 (Emballonuridae) in Central Brazil

Species of sheath-tailed bats in the family Emballonuridae are pantropical in distribution. Ghost bats in the genus Diclidurus (Wied-Neuwied, 1820) comprehend four species that occur in the Neotropical regions of Central and South America. However, distributional records are sparsely documented across this vast area. The objective of this study is to report the first occurrence of D. ingens in Central Brazil, representing a range extension of 850 kilometers.

Mark-recapture may reveal more about ecology than about population trends: Demography of a threatened ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) population

Mark-recapture may reveal more about ecology than about population trends: Demography of a threatened ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) population

Anatomy of the nasal passages of three species of Australian bats in relation to water loss

A previous study found substantial variation in rates of water loss in three species of Australian bats, with the orange leafnosed bat (Rhinonycteris aurantius) having a rate more than twice that of the large bentwing bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) and the ghost bat (Macroderma gigas). Using histological sections, we examined the nasal passages of these species to determine whether any of the species have complex turbinals that may function to reduce respiratory water loss. M. schreibersii has the most complex nasal passages, and R. aurantius has the simplest. Calculations indicate that the respiratory water loss of R. aurantius and M. schreibersii are similar, but this indicates that the nasal turbinals of M. schreibersii function to conserve pulmonary water given that the metabolic rate, and therefore respiratory frequency, is higher in M. schreibersii. R. aurantius and M. gigas echolocate by emitting pulses from the nostrils whereas M. schreibersii emits pulses from the mouth. The structure of the nasal passages of nasal emitters is constrained by the demands of echolocation, and this may preclude the development of complex turbinal arrangements required for the conservation of respiratory water.

First record of the ghost bat Diclidurus scutatus Peters (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Emballonuridae) in São Paulo city, Brazil

Because of their habits (fly high and harbor on palm leaves), there are few records of the ghost bat Diclidurus scutatus Peters, 1869. In Brazil, this species is known only from Northern region and this paper describes its first occurrence in Southeastern region. The ghost bat was found died on the window sill of a 9th floor apartment of a residential building in the urban area in the city of São Paulo, São Paulo State. Probably this bat must live at Serra da Cantareira, one of the Atlantic forest fragment nearby São Paulo city.

Mark–recapture may reveal more about ecology than about population trends: Demography of a threatened ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) population

AbstractSince European settlement in Australia, the geographical range of ghost bats (Macroderma gigas) has contracted northwards. Ghost bats are thought to occur in disjunct populations with little interpopulation migration, raising concerns over the current status and future viability of the southernmost colony, which has also been threatened by mining activity. To address these concerns, demographic parameters of the southernmost colony were estimated from a mark–recapture study conducted during 1975–1981. Female bats gave birth to a single young in late spring, but only 40% (22–70%, 95% CI) of females bred in their second year, increasing to 93% (87–97%, 95% CI) for females ≥ 2 years old. Sixty‐five percent of juveniles caught were female. Annual adult survival ranged between 0.57–0.77 for females and 0.43–0.66 for males, and was lowest over winter–spring and greatest in autumn–winter. Juvenile survival for the first year ranged between 0.35–0.46 for females and 0.29–0.42 for males. Adult survival varied among seasons, was negatively associated with rainfall, but was not associated with temperature beyond being lower in late winter. Poor survival may result from the inferior daytime roosts that bats must use if water seepage forces them to leave their normal roosts. Although these age‐specific rates of fecundity and survival suggested a declining population, mark–recapture estimates of the population trend indicated stability over the study period. Counts at daytime roosts also suggested a population decline, but were considered unreliable because of an increasing tendency of bats to avoid detection. It is therefore likely that some assumptions in estimating survival were violated. These results provide a caution against the uncritical use of population projections derived from mark–recapture estimates of demographic parameters, and the use of untested indices as the basis for conservation decisions.

Mark-recapture may reveal more about ecology than about population trends: Demography of a threatened ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) population

Mark-recapture may reveal more about ecology than about population trends: Demography of a threatened ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) population

An architectonic comparison of the ventrobasal complex of two Megachiropteran and one Microchiropteran bat: implications for the evolution of Chiroptera

The architectonic features of the thalamic ventrobasal complex (Vb) of two species of Megachiropteran (Grey-headed flying fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, and the Eastern tube-nosed bat, Nyctimene robinsoni ) are compared with those of a Microchiropteran (Australian ghost bat, Macroderma gigas ). The somatosensory system was chosen for comparison as it represents a sensory system that has undergone analogous modifications in both Chiropteran lineages (the evolution of the wing). The components of Vb were examined as there are taxon-specific features in this region of the brain. Within the Megachiropteran Vb, four subnuclei were recognized: the ventral posterior medial (VPM), the ventral posterior lateral (VPL), the ventral posterior inferior (VPI), and the basal ventral medial (VMb). In the ghost bat only VPM and VPL were identified with certainty. No VPI was evident in the ghost bat, however a putative VMb was observed. Vb of the ghost bat also lacked the arcuate lamina, which distinguishes VPM from VPL in the Megachiropterans and many other mammals. These taxon-specific differences lend support to the proposal that the order Chiroptera has a diphyletic origin.

Rapid GLUT-1 mediated glucose transport in erythrocytes from the grey-headed fruit bat ( Pteropus poliocephalus)

d-Glucose entry into erythrocytes from adult grey-headed flying fox fruit bats ( Pteropus poliocephalus) was rapid and showed saturation at high substrate concentrations. Kinetic parameters were estimated from the concentration dependence of initial rates of zero- trans d-glucose entry at 5.5°C as Michaelis constant ( K m) 1.64±0.56 mM, and maximal velocity ( V max) 1162±152 μmol·l·cell water −1·min −1. d-Glucose entry was inhibited by cytochalasin B; mass law analysis of d-glucose-displaceable cytochalasin B binding gave values of K d 37.1±5.0 nM and B max 361.2±9.1 pmol/mg membrane protein. Entry of 2-deoxy- d-glucose, and 3- O-methyl- d-glucose, into P. poliocephalus red cells was rapid, entry of d-fructose was very slow. Glucose transporter polypeptides were identified on immunoblots as a band M r 47 000–54 000 and their identity confirmed by d-glucose-sensitive photolabeling of membranes with [ 3H]-cytochalasin B. Peptide- N-glycanase F digestion of both human and bat erythrocyte membranes generated GLUT-1-derived bands M r 37 000. Trypsin digestion of human and fruit bat erythrocyte membranes generated fragmentation patterns consistent with similar GLUT-1 polypeptide structures in both species. Erythrocytes from adult Australian ghost bats ( Macroderma gigas), a carnivorous microchiropteran bat, also expressed high levels of GLUT-1 .

The ghost bat in the Pilbara: 100 years on.

This paper summarises the roost habitat and distribution of the ghost bat, Macroderma gigas (Dobson, 1880), in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with particular emphasis on natural habitats. The preferred habitat of M. gigas in the Hamersley Ranges appears to be caves beneath bluffs of low rounded hills composed of Marra Mamba geology. Habitats were also found in the larger hills of Brockman Iron Formation in the Hamersley Range, and other formations beneath bluffs composed of Gorge Creek Group geology to the north east. Granite rockpiles are also used in the eastern Pilbara. A summary of Pilbara records from numerous sources is presented, including anecdotal accounts and other new records. This includes a newly discovered maternity site from the Hamersley Ranges, only the third reported from natural cave formations in the region. Threats to M. gigas in the region are highlighted and include disturbances associated with mining and entanglement in barbed wire fences.

Bats of the southern Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia

We present the results of the first systematic survey of bats in the southern Carnarvon Basin. Two megabat and eleven microbat species were recorded. A twelfth microbat species, Macroderma gigas, is known from sub­ fossil material. We demonstrate tight, functionally appropriate relationships between species' foraging microhabitats, flight performance indices, and echolocation call parameters. Patterns in the species composition of microbat assemblages across the study area conform with a 'temperate to tropical' climatic gradient, but are modified by variation in the structural complexity of the vegetation. Within the study area, these relationships allow the species composition of microbat assemblages to be predicted from vegetation structure and local availability of roost sites, and provide an explicit basis for assessing the reserve system from the perspective of microbats. • resource allocation among co-occurring species. All three are important considerations for reserve system development. The only other systematic bat surveys covering areas of Western Australia as extensive as our study area were carried out between 1977 and 1985 in the Eastern Goldfields (e.g. McKenzie and Rolfe, 1995b) and in tropical mangrove communities (McKenzie and Start, 1989). At the outset of this study, the Western Australian Museum held 77 bat specimens from the study area. All were collected opportunistically, with virtually no ecological data. The earliest record was of Pteropus scapulatus (WAM2644) from Tamala Homestead (26°42'S, 113°43'E) in 1944. The single, most species-rich collection comprised three species from Kalbarri National Park in 1969-70 (Chalinolobus gouldii, Vespadelus finlaysoni and

GENETIC STRUCTURE AND MALE-MEDIATED GENE FLOW IN THE GHOST BAT (MACRODERMA GIGAS).

The Australian ghost bat is a large, opportunistic carnivorous species that has undergone a marked range contraction toward more mesic, tropical sites over the past century. Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences and six nuclear microsatellite loci in 217 ghost bats from nine populations across subtropical and tropical Australia revealed strong population subdivision (mtDNA φST = 0.80; microsatellites URST = 0.337). Low-latitude (tropical) populations had higher heterozygosity and less marked phylogeographic structure and lower subdivision among sites within regions (within Northern Territory [NT] and within North Queensland [NQ]) than did populations at higher latitudes (subtropical sites; central Queensland [CQ]), although sampling of geographically proximal breeding sites is unavoidably restricted for the latter. Gene flow among populations within each of the northern regions appears to be male biased in that the difference in population subdivision for mtDNA and microsatellites (NT φST = 0.39, URST = 0.02; NQ φST = 0.60, URST = -0.03) is greater than expected from differences in the effective population size of haploid versus diploid loci. The high level of population subdivision across the range of the ghost bat contrasts with evidence for high gene flow in other chiropteran species and may be due to narrow physiological tolerances and consequent limited availability of roosts for ghost bats, particularly across the subtropical and relatively arid regions. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that the contraction of the species' range is associated with late Holocene climate change. The extreme isolation among higher-latitude populations may predispose them to additional local extinctions if the processes responsible for the range contraction continue to operate.

Genetic Structure and Male-Mediated Gene Flow in the Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas)

Genetic Structure and Male-Mediated Gene Flow in the Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas)

Avian prey of the Australian Ghost BatMacroderma gigas(Microchiroptera: Megadermatidae): prey characteristics and damage from predation

The Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas is a large (mean mass 150 g) predatory bat of subtropical and tropical Australia. It carries its vertebrate prey to roost caves to be eaten and where remains are dropped and accumulate. Whereas the attack and feeding methods of M. gigas on mammals has been well documented, there is little comparable information relating to avian prey. Using published lists of avian prey and skeletal material collected from a modern Macroderma roost, this study examined the range of bird species eaten by this bat. From the characteristics of these birds, biases towards particular behaviour patterns were identified. Prey masses were used to determine a preferred size range for avian prey. From this information, and assessments of the damage to the bones, inferences were made regarding the capture and processing methods employed by M. gigas for birds. More than 50 species, from a broad taxonomic range, have been recorded as avian prey of the Ghost Bat. These are all essentially diurnal with the...