Groups Of Bats Research Articles

Forest conversion to cattle ranching differentially affects taxonomic and functional groups of Neotropical bats

Understanding the effects of land conversion for livestock grazing on species diversity and functional groups continues to be urgently needed to assess how ranching affects animal assemblages and provide guidelines for managing landscapes under this omnipresent type of land use. Given Neotropical bats' high diversity of feeding habits and flying abilities, and that they play multiple, important ecological roles in ecosystems, they are an ideal study system to address such a need. We investigated the effects of livestock ranching on Neotropical bat species and functional groups composition via meta-analyses of published information. We used the odds-ratio metric to compare the frequency of occurrence of bat species in old-growth forest vs. areas influenced by livestock. Our results show no effects when considering bats as a group. However, significant effects emerge when they are assessed separately, on the basis of taxonomic family, feeding habit, conservation status and flying ability, showing that considering bats as a black box mutes relevant patterns. Molossid and phyllostomid species with high movement ability or omnivorous habit showed an increased frequency in livestock areas. In contrast, frugivores and aerial insectivores with low movement ability, carnivores, gleaning insectivores, nectarivores, sanguivores and species considered under some degree of extinction risk were significantly more frequent in old-growth forest. Overall, our results support that areas converted for livestock production retain only a subset of the Neotropical bat functional diversity while most of the functional groups are negatively impacted. Such heterogeneity of responses seems critical for our understanding of the effects of land use change on animal communities.

Diversity and pattern of nest preference of bat species at bat-dwelling caves in Gombong Karst, Central Java, Indonesia

Wijayanti F, Maryanto I. 2017 Diversity and pattern of nest preference of bat species at bat-dwelling caves in Gombong Karst, Central Java, Indonesia Biodiversitas 18: 864-874. A study on the diversity of bat species, their community structure and pattern of roosting preference, has been conducted in twelve caves in Gombong Karst, Central Java. Bats were caught at the roosting place during the day. Length, width, and height of cave passage were measured, as well as a number of entrances and cave’s ventilation were also calculated. In addition, microclimate parameters were measured under the bat roosts. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, Redundancy analysis (RDA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Fifteen species (eleven species of insectivorous bats and four species of fruit bats) were recorded. The result also shows that the length, height, and width of the cave passage influenced the community structure of bats. While the other physical factors, i.e. sound intensity, distance from the cave entrance, temperature, humidity, and light intensity influence the bat nesting preference. Furthermore, there were five groups of bats which have a specific pattern of roosting preference.

Structural, temporal and genetic properties of social groups in the short-lived migratory bat Nyctalus leisleri

Social groups of bats that operate under fission–fusion dynamics tend to establish and maintain non-random associations. We examined the social and genetic structure of the Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri), a species that is typical of tree-dwelling and long-distance migratory species in Europe. We used long-term co-occurrence data (capture-recapture sampling of roosting individuals) in combination with individual genetic relatedness (inferred from a set of microsatellite markers) to assess relationships between structural, temporal and genetic properties of roosting groups. Our results showed that social structure in groups of roosting Leisler’s bat was not random. Social clusters revealed by network analysis were almost identical to demographic cohorts, which indicates that Leisler’s bats are able to maintain social bonds only over a single season. After the period of active maternal care, roosting groups became smaller with a significantly higher level of genetic relatedness among adult females in contrast to the pregnancy and lactation stages. This provides some evidence that temporal social associations may be positively correlated with genetic relatedness. Low recapture rates of bats across seasons in light of natal philopatry indicates a shorter life span of individuals likely due to high mortality during long distance migratory movements. This probably has the most significant effect on the social system of this species.

Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, in Northeast Asia.

The greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, is an important model organism for studies on chiropteran phylogeographic patterns. Previous studies revealed the population history of R. ferrumequinum from Europe and most Asian regions, yet there continue to be arguments about their evolutionary process in Northeast Asia. In this study, we obtained mitochondrial DNA cyt b and D-loop data of R. ferrumequinum from Northeast China, South Korea and Japan to clarify their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary process. Our results indicate a highly supported monophyletic group of Northeast Asian greater horseshoe bats, in which Japanese populations formed a single clade and clustered into the mixed branches of Northeast Chinese and South Korean populations. We infer that R. ferrumequinum in Northeast Asia originated in Northeast China and South Korea during a cold glacial period, while some ancestors likely arrived in Japan by flying or land bridge and subsequently adapted to the local environment. Consequently, during the warm Eemian interglaciation, the Korea Strait, between Japan and South Korea, became a geographical barrier to Japanese and inland populations, while the Changbai Mountains, between China and North Korea, did not play a significant role as a barrier between Northeast China and South Korea populations.

Minimally invasive collection of adipose tissue facilitates the study of eco‐physiology in small‐bodied mammals

Summary Adipose tissue is the primary fuel storage for vertebrates and is an important component of energy budgets during periods of peak energetic demands. Investigating the composition of adipose tissue can provide information about energetics, migration, reproduction and other life‐history traits. Until now, most field methods for sampling adipose tissue of small‐bodied vertebrates have been destructive. Therefore, investigations of adipose tissue in small‐bodied vertebrates have been limited in their broadscale application. We developed a field‐ready micro‐adipose biopsy method for sampling adipose tissue of small‐bodied vertebrates, by adopting fine‐needle adipose aspiration. We applied the method to silver‐haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) and then quantified the resulting fatty acid signatures of a summer group and an autumn group to demonstrate one possible application of the method. We successfully obtained interpretable fatty acid signatures from 74·5% of micro‐adipose biopsy attempts, with success positively correlated with body mass index. Summer and autumn groups of bats had different fatty acid signatures likely representing varied available dietary compositions at resident sites (the habitat where adipose deposits are accumulated prior to migration). The fatty acid profile of autumn silver‐haired bats was largely characterized by 16:0, 18:1 and 14:0, and the summer group was characterized by 16:0, 16:1 and 18:0. Our results suggest that fatty acid signatures have the potential to characterize the origins of migrating individuals, or the number of unique subpopulations being supported by a migration route. This field‐ready fine‐needle adipose aspiration method can be used on small‐bodied mammals and modified for application to other small‐bodied vertebrates. This non‐destructive approach to sampling adipose tissue has great value because it allows for robust sample sizes, longitudinal studies of the same individuals across space and time, and sampling of rare, threatened and endangered species.

The origins and diversity of bat songs.

Singing plays an important role in the social lives of several disparate bat species, but just how significant the behavior may be among bats generally is unknown. Recent discoveries suggest singing by bats might be surprisingly more diverse and widespread than anticipated, but if true then two questions must be addressed: firstly why has singing been so rarely documented among bats, and secondly do bats sing for the same reasons as songbirds? We address the first question by reviewing how sampling bias and technical constraints may have produced a myopic view of bat social communication. To address the second question, we review evidence from 50years of batsong literature supporting the supposition that bat singing is linked to the same constellation of ecological variables that favored birdsong, including territoriality, polygyny, metabolic constraints, migratory behaviors and especially powered flight. We propose that bats sing like birds because they fly like birds; flight is energetically expensive and singing reduces time spent flying. Factoring in the singular importance of acoustic communication for echolocating bats, it seems likely that singing may prove to be relatively common among certain groups of bats once it becomes clear when and where to look for it.

Árboles viejos como indicadores de biodiversidad de vertebrados forestales amenazados de la provincia de Salamanca (España)

Ancient trees abundance has been compared with distribution of threatened forest vertebrate species at the province of Salamanca (Spain). A significant correlation between both parameters has been observed for the following considered species: imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), black vulture (Aegypus monachus), iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), red kite (Milvus milvus) and a group of forest bats (Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis emarginatus, Myotis mystacinus, Myotis myotis, Nyctalus lasiopterus, Nyctalus noctula, Rhinolophus euryale, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum y Rhinolophus mehelyi). It has been proved that there is an increase of threatened forest vertebrates biodiversity along with increasing ancient trees density at the municipalities of the province. Therefore, we can deduce that ancient trees density is a good indicator parameter of the conservation status of the forest ecosystem and it is essential for the maintenance of these endangered species.

Chromosomal phylogeny of Vampyressine bats (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) with description of two new sex chromosome systems.

BackgroundThe subtribe Vampyressina (sensu Baker et al. 2003) encompasses approximately 43 species and seven genera and is a recent and diversified group of New World leaf-nosed bats specialized in fruit eating. The systematics of this group continues to be debated mainly because of the lack of congruence between topologies generated by molecular and morphological data. We analyzed seven species of all genera of vampyressine bats by multidirectional chromosome painting, using whole-chromosome-painting probes from Carollia brevicauda and Phyllostomus hastatus. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using shared discrete chromosomal segments as characters and the Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (PAUP) software package, using Desmodontinae as outgroup. We also used the Tree Analysis Using New Technology (TNT) software.ResultsThe result showed a well-supported phylogeny congruent with molecular topologies regarding the sister taxa relationship of Vampyressa and Mesophylla genera, as well as the close relationship between the genus Chiroderma and Vampyriscus.ConclusionsOur results supported the hypothesis that all genera of this subtribe have compound sex chromosome systems that originated from an X-autosome translocation, an ancestral condition observed in the Stenodermatinae. Additional rearrangements occurred independently in the genus Vampyressa and Mesophylla yielding the X1X1X2X2/X1X2Y sex chromosome system. This work presents additional data supporting the hypothesis based on molecular studies regarding the polyphyly of the genus Vampyressa and its sister relationship to Mesophylla.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0689-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Common vampire bat contact calls attract past food-sharing partners

Animals living with kin and nonkin should make social decisions based on the consequences for both direct and indirect fitness. Common vampire bats, Desmodus rotundus, invest in stable cooperative relationships that benefit both components of inclusive fitness. To disentangle these two factors, we conducted two types of playback trials using a captive group of familiar common vampire bats with mixed kinship and varying rates of dyadic food sharing. We presented each subject with two speakers, playing contact calls from two different familiar conspecifics. In ‘past donor trials’, 15 vampire bats chose between calls recorded from either a frequent or rare food donor, but both callers were related to a similar degree with the subject. In ‘kinship trials’, 31 vampire bats chose between calls recorded from either a close or distant relative, but both callers were matched for food-sharing history with the subject. We found that vampire bats were attracted to contact calls of frequent food donors when controlling for kinship, but not to calls of kin when controlling for food-sharing history. Responses and acoustic analyses suggested that bats recognized individuals from vocalizations. These results corroborate past findings that prior food sharing can overshadow relatedness in determining the social decisions of vampire bats. Common vampire bat contact calls allow food-sharing partners to recognize and find each other at a distance, which likely enables them to switch roosts together in the wild.

Energetic benefits of enhanced summer roosting habitat for little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) recovering from white-nose syndrome.

Habitat modification can improve outcomes for imperilled wildlife. Insectivorous bats in North America face a range of conservation threats, including habitat loss and white-nose syndrome (WNS). Even healthy bats face energetic constraints during spring, but enhancement of roosting habitat could reduce energetic costs, increase survival and enhance recovery from WNS. We tested the potential of artificial heating of bat roosts as a management tool for threatened bat populations. We predicted that: (i) after hibernation, captive bats would be more likely to select a roost maintained at a temperature near their thermoneutral zone; (ii) bats recovering from WNS at the end of hibernation would show a stronger preference for heated roosts compared with healthy bats; and (iii) heated roosts would result in biologically significant energy savings. We housed two groups of bats (WNS-positive and control) in separate flight cages following hibernation. Over 7.5 weeks, we quantified the presence of individuals in heated vs. unheated bat houses within each cage. We then used a series of bioenergetic models to quantify thermoregulatory costs in each type of roost under a number of scenarios. Bats preferentially selected heated bat houses, but WNS-affected bats were much more likely to use the heated bat house compared with control animals. Our model predicted energy savings of up to 81.2% for bats in artificially heated roosts if roost temperature was allowed to cool at night to facilitate short bouts of torpor. Our results are consistent with research highlighting the importance of roost microclimate and suggest that protection and enhancement of high-quality, natural roosting environments should be a priority response to a range of threats, including WNS. Our findings also suggest the potential of artificially heated bat houses to help populations recover from WNS, but more work is needed before these might be implemented on a large scale.

Swarming behaviour associated with group cohesion in tree-dwelling bats

Group living of social species increases the individual survival rate and enhances optimal exploitation of resources within their environment. Groups of cryptic tree-dwelling bats perform frequent roost switching on relatively long distances, whereas groups are temporarily disintegrated during foraging that precedes moving into new roost. In this study, we attempted to elucidate a mechanism in which group members can select new roost from a large set of potential roosting sites without disintegration of the whole group. Exploring the activity at the front of the tree hollows, recorded by automatic infrared monitors, we found that the swarming activity of Leisler’s bats was performed during the whole night and was concentrated before the civil twilight at occupied roosts. A generalized linear model revealed significant positive association between the group size and swarming activity while season had negative but smaller effect. As bats swarmed the whole night also at sites that were less occupied or even unoccupied, we suggest that members of a bat colony selected new roost from a potentially larger set of available roosting sites. Thus, we propose a possible signalling role of swarming as a threshold behaviour that ensures group cohesion during roost switching.

Lagos bat virus transmission in an Eidolon helvum bat colony, Ghana

A brain sample of a straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) from Ghana without evident signs of disease tested positive by generic Lyssavirus RT-PCR and direct antigen staining. Sequence analysis confirmed the presence of a Lagos bat virus belonging to phylogenetic lineage A. Virus neutralization tests using the isolate with sera from the same group of bats yielded neutralizing antibodies in 74% of 567 animals. No cross-neutralization was observed against a different Lagos bat virus (lineage B).

Phylogeny of Molossidae Gervais (Mammalia: Chiroptera) inferred by morphological data.

Molossidae is a large (roughly 100 species) pantropically distributed clade of swift aerially insectivorous bats for which the phylogeny remains relatively unknown and little studied compared with other speciose groups of bats. We investigated phylogenetic relationships among 62 species, representing all extant molossid genera and most of the subgenera, using 102 morphological characters from the skull, dentition, postcrania, external morphology, tongue, and penis, based on direct observation and literature reports. Both parsimony and Bayesian analyses were used in phylogenetic reconstruction. Our analysis supports two main clades of molossids, both of which mingle Old World and New World taxa. One clade is comprised of Mormopterus,Platymops, Sauromys, Neoplatymops, Molossops, Cynomops, Cheiromeles, Molossus, and Promops. The other clade includes Tadarida, Otomops, Nyctinomops, Eumops, Chaerephon, and Mops. The position of Myopterus with respect to these two groups is unclear. As in other recent analyses, we find that several genera do not appear to be monophyletic (e.g. Tadarida, Chaerephon, and Molossops sensu lato). We recommend that the subgenera of Molossops sensu lato and Austronomus be recognized at the generic level. We conclude that much more data are needed to investigate lower level problems (generic monophyly and relationships within genera) and to resolve the higher-level branching pattern of the family.

No Genome-Wide Protein Sequence Convergence for Echolocation

Toothed whales and two groups of bats independently acquired echolocation, the ability to locate and identify objects by reflected sound. Echolocation requires physiologically complex and coordinated vocal, auditory, and neural functions, but the molecular basis of the capacity for echolocation is not well understood. A recent study suggested that convergent amino acid substitutions widespread in the proteins of echolocators underlay the convergent origins of mammalian echolocation. Here, we show that genomic signatures of molecular convergence between echolocating lineages are generally no stronger than those between echolocating and comparable nonecholocating lineages. The same is true for the group of 29 hearing-related proteins claimed to be enriched with molecular convergence. Reexamining the previous selection test reveals several flaws and invalidates the asserted evidence for adaptive convergence. Together, these findings indicate that the reported genomic signatures of convergence largely reflect the background level of sequence convergence unrelated to the origins of echolocation.

Differences between populations of Spinturnix myoti (Acari: Mesostigmata) in breeding and non-breeding colonies of Myotis myotis (Chiroptera) in central Europe: the effect of roost type

We studied variations in the abundance of parasitic spinturnicid mites in relation to the gender, age and body condition of bats living in different habitats. Populations of Spinturnix myoti Kolenati, 1856 (Acari: Spinturnicidae), an ectoparasite of the bat Myotis myotis (Borkhausen) (Mammalia: Chiroptera), were investigated in two types of roosts differing in microclimatic conditions: caves (low temperature and high humidity) and attics (high temperature and low humidity). Our data suggest that bats from cave nursery colonies harbour more parasites than those from attic colonies, irrespective of host sex or age. In underground colonies, adult females and their young differ in the mean abundance of parasites, whereas no such differences were found in attic colonies. Non-lactating females from underground roosts and lactating females from attic colonies had similar parasite loads, were lower than those of adult lactating females from caves. A negative correlation between the host body condition index and parasite load was found only in the most infected sex/age group of bats. In spite of significant differences in parasite load, the mean abundance of particular life stages of mites seems to be independent of the type of roost occupied by the host, its sex or age. However, in attic colonies the number of female deutonymphs was twice that of male deutonymphs, whereas in cave colonies the proportions of the sexes were similar. We suggest that the microclimate of the host's roosts may influence ectoparasite abundance through pressure on the sex ratio in the nymphal stages of mites.

Bat body temperature does not affect memory

Sleep deprivation not only plays havoc with your life, but it also wrecks your memory. Ireneusz Ruczyński from the Mammal Research Institute, Poland, explains that sleep deprivation may affect our ability to consolidate memories, by transferring them from the short- to long-term memories. And, it turns out that animals that hibernate to conserve energy may suffer similar problems. ‘Both REM sleep and slow wave sleep are reduced during torpor’, say Ruczyński and Theresa Clarin from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany, adding that animals that have recently emerged from hibernation spend a lot of time sleeping to repay the deficit. However, the jury was out about the effect of torpor and hibernation on rodent memories: some species seem to form long-term memories fine while the memories of others are impaired. Intrigued by the possibility that the low body temperature associated with torpor could impact memory formation, Ruczyński and his colleagues began testing the memories of chilled great mouse-eared bats (p. 4043).Keeping bats at either 22°C or 7°C, Ruczyński, Clarin and Bjoern Siemers trained them to find food in a maze. Both groups of bats also had to learn the location of a dry perch when they were placed in a wet arena. Testing the animals' memories of the location of food in the maze and where the perch was in the wet arena, the team found that the bats' memories were equally good; their body temperature did not affect their ability to form memories. The team says, ‘The lack of clear cognitive effects caused by the decrease in body temperature could be explained by a bat's life history’, pointing out that bats live in complex environments and that this could have forced them to develop compensating mechanisms that ensure that their memories are sound.

Emballonurid bats from Colombia: Annotated checklist, distribution, and biogeography

Introduction: Genetic data hypothetically place the origin of the most recent common ancestor of the subfamily Emballonurinae in Africa, suggesting a dispersal event from Africa to South America during the Oligocene (30 Ma), and a subsequent allopatric radiation in the New World. Emballonurid genera exist in Central America where, to date, only one event of diversification has been documented for Balantiopteryx before the completion of the Isthmus of Panama land connection in the Pliocene.Methods: Emballonurid bats constitutes an important element of the bat fauna in Colombia. Herein, museum voucher specimens were used as primary source to generate a checklist of emballonurid bats from Colombia. In addition, selected museum voucher specimens were analyzed to verify their identifications. The checklist is accompanied by references as well as models of potential distribution for each Colombian emballonurid species. These distribution maps were used to investigate the affinities, in species composition, among Colombian ecoregions as outlined by Hernández-Camacho et al. (1992), and to determine emballonurid richness distribution in Colombia and the relationship between environmental variables and patterns of species richness in this group of bats in the country.Results: We report 16 confirmed emballonurid bat species for Colombia and three species potentially present in the country, for a total of 19 species representing the eight recognized Neotropical emballonurid genera. At 16 known species, Colombia has the second greatest number of Neotropical emballonurid bats after Brazil (17 spp.).Discussion and conclusion: The checklist presented herein is accompanied by 11 taxonomic and distributional comments explaining recent changes in taxonomy, species distribution rearrangements, as well as clarifications and a refinement of the previous records for Colombia. In addition, Geographic Information System (GIS) models of potential distribution were created for all confirmed species in Colombia, and species richness patterns were analyzed. Finally, in a Parsimony Analysis of Endemism was performed for Colombian emballonurids we found that diversity within this group of bats in geographically subdivided in Colombia into four main regions including: The Biogeographic Chocó; the Magdalena Valley; The Orinoquia; and the Guianan-Amazon region.Key words: Chiropterans, Parsimony Analysis of Endemism, sheath-tailed bats, sac-wing bats, distribution maps.

Morphological and Echolocation Call Variation in Malagasy Trident Bats,TriaenopsDobson, 1871 (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae)

Patterns of interspecific and intraspecific variation in the three endemic species of Malagasy Triaenops bats were investigated using morphology and bioacoustics. Adult bats were captured at different localities across the island, measured, and their echolocation calls recorded. On average, male T. auritus and T. furculus have shorter forearms (47.0 and 44.0 mm, respectively) and emit higher frequency calls (107.8 and 113.1 kHz, respectively) than females (47.5 and 45.7 mm and 95.6 and 98.2 kHz, respectively), representing a form of reversed sexual dimorphism (females larger than males). However, T. menamena shows typical patterns of sexual size dimorphism with males having a longer forearm (51.7 mm) and lower frequency echolocation calls (82.3 kHz) than females (49.0 mm and 93.5 kHz, respectively). When segregated by sex, there was a strong allometric relationship between forearm length, used as a measure of body size, and the resting frequency in these three species, as well as two African hipposiderids (T. afer and Cloeotis percivali). Triaenops auritus males and both sexes of T. furculus deviated from the relationship between these two variables. Hypotheses are explored to explain the drivers of these sexual dimorphism patterns. On the basis of the allometric relationship, the strong correlation is in parallel to other groups of bats and is probably associated with ecological constraints. Recent phylogenetic analyses showed a separation of Afro-Malagasy Triaenops into two sister clades: T. auritus/T. furculus (suggested to be placed in a new genus, Paratriaenops) and T. menamena/T. afer. The patterns of sexual dimorphism in these taxa are congruent with clade membership. Further studies are needed to understand strategies used by these taxa when in sympatry to share habitat and ecological niches.

Two new cytotypes reinforce that Micronycteris hirsuta Peters, 1869 does not represent a monotypic taxon

BackgroundThe genus Micronycteris is a diverse group of phyllostomid bats currently comprising 11 species, with diploid number (2n) ranging from 26 to 40 chromosomes. The karyotypic relationships within Micronycteris and between Micronycteris and other phyllostomids remain poorly understood. The karyotype of Micronycteris hirsuta is of particular interest: three different diploid numbers were reported for this species in South and Central Americas with 2n = 26, 28 and 30 chromosomes. Although current evidence suggests some geographic differentiation among populations of M. hirsuta based on chromosomal, morphological, and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers, the recognition of new species or subspecies has been avoided due to the need for additional data, mainly chromosomal data.ResultsWe describe two new cytotypes for Micronycteris hirsuta (MHI) (2n = 26 and 25, NF = 32), whose differences in diploid number are interpreted as the products of Robertsonian rearrangements. C-banding revealed a small amount of constitutive heterochromatin at the centromere and the NOR was located in the interstitial portion of the short arm of a second pair, confirmed by FISH. Telomeric probes hybridized to the centromeric regions and weakly to telomeric regions of most chromosomes. The G-banding analysis and chromosome painting with whole chromosome probes from Carollia brevicauda (CBR) and Phyllostomus hastatus (PHA) enabled the establishment of genome-wide homologies between MHI, CBR and PHA.ConclusionsThe karyotypes of Brazilian specimens of Micronycteris hirsuta described here are new to Micronycteris and reinforce that M. hirsuta does not represent a monotypic taxon. Our results corroborate the hypothesis of karyotypic megaevolution within Micronycteris, and strong evidence for this is that the entire chromosome complement of M. hirsuta was shown to be derivative with respect to species compared in this study.

Genetic structuring of northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) at multiple spatial scales

Although groups of bats may be genetically distinguishable at large spatial scales, the effects of forest disturbances, particularly permanent land use conversions on fine-scale population structure and gene flow of summer aggregations of philopatric bat species are less clear. We genotyped and analyzed variation at 10 nuclear DNA microsatellite markers in 182 individuals of the forest-dwelling northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) at multiple spatial scales, from within first-order watersheds scaling up to larger regional areas in West Virginia and New York. Our results indicate that groups of northern myotis were genetically indistinguishable at any spatial scale we considered, and the collective population maintained high genetic diversity. It is likely that the ability to migrate, exploit small forest patches, and use networks of mating sites located throughout the Appalachian Mountains, Interior Highlands, and elsewhere in the hibernation range have allowed northern myotis to maintain high genetic diversity and gene flow regardless of forest disturbances at local and regional spatial scales. A consequence of maintaining high gene flow might be the potential to minimize genetic founder effects following population declines caused currently by the enzootic White-nose Syndrome.