Plecotus Auritus Research Articles

<i>Plecotus macrobullaris sarmaticus</i> subsp. nov. (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea

The extinct mountain long-eared bat Plecotus macrobullaris sarmaticus subsp. nov. is described on the base of jaw remains from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida cave in central Crimea. This is the first record of the genus Plecotus in the Lower Pleistocene of Russia and the first fossil find of P. macrobullaris Kuzyakin, 1965, documenting the early stage of the evolutionary history of the species.

Dynamic occupancy in a peripheral population of Myotis septentrionalis during disease outbreak

ContextOnce common, the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) has experienced declines > 90% due to white-nose syndrome (WNS). This severe mortality has resulted in their listing under the Endangered Species Act and made them a conservation priority. However, their broad distribution, variability in habitat use, and population instability make developing range-wide conservation strategies difficult. To understand how conservation of M. septentrionalis may vary across its range, we examined shifts in M. septentrionalis site occupancy on the edge of their historic range following severe WNS mortality.ObjectivesOur goal was to determine how mortality from white-nose syndrome affects site occupancy of M. septentrionalis at the southern edge of their historic range. Understanding which areas will remain occupied during disease related mortality will help inform management during disease outbreaks.MethodsWe used 11 years (2007–2017) of mist-netting records to construct dynamic occupancy models of M. septentrionalis in northern Georgia, USA. Occupancy was updated annually, with the initial period defined as all years prior to the winter of 2012–2013, which corresponds to when white-nose syndrome entered the study area. We assessed occupancy using landscape metrics at the home range (65 ha) and landscape (491 ha) scales, year since WNS occurrence in the study area, distance to karst, and distance to nearest WNS positive county. We estimated probability of detection using Julian date and sampling effort.ResultsInitial site occupancy was positively associated with percent deciduous forest cover at the home range scale. As M. septentrionalis populations declined from WNS, a site becoming unoccupied was negatively correlated with mean contiguity of forest at the home range scale and largest patch of forest and mean elevation at the landscape scale. Site occupancy declined precipitously in the years following WNS, dropping from 70.75% (41.76–96.98% [95% CI]) occupancy pre-WNS to 0.3% (0.3–20.5% [95% CI]) by the final year of the study.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that sites occupied by M. septentrionalis closer to the historic range edge were more vulnerable to becoming unoccupied after disease arrival. We recommend managers on the periphery of the historic range focus conservation efforts on high elevation forested areas nearer to the range core.

Importance of Manually Vetting Acoustic Bat Call Files: A Case Study for Northern Long-eared Bats

Importance of Manually Vetting Acoustic Bat Call Files: A Case Study for Northern Long-eared Bats

Light-averse behaviour of attic-dwelling bats when commuting through urban areas

Light pollution is spreading around the world, causing a variety of problems, particularly for nocturnal animals such as bats. As urban areas expand, attic-dwelling bats face the problem of being exposed to more and more artificial light as they move to their dark foraging areas. Avoiding street lights could force bats to make energetically costly detours, which could eventually lead to the collapse of urban colonies. We therefore investigated the response of attic-dwelling bats to street lighting, using the brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) as an example. Using radio-tracking, we followed 17 bats during their commutes through two urban areas: a small town and a village in rural Germany. After a conservative filtering process to ensure a high spatial accuracy of the tracking data, we analysed the data of nine bats in detail, using a use-versus-availability approach for the small town and a descriptive approach for the smaller dataset obtained from the village. The best-fitting model confirmed that the bats responded to artificial light at night. Close to the roost (∼10 m), bats preferred areas with low light intensities, but seemed to tolerate some light levels. We speculate that this pattern was caused by bats being forced to leave the roost into an illuminated area. At medium distances from roosts (∼400 m), most bats avoided street lights. In fact, all bats avoided being in close proximity to street lights, even when the lanterns produced only low levels of light. We conclude that brown long-eared bats avoid street lights when moving through urban areas. We recommend the establishment of dark corridors in urban areas to support high bat diversity, including all species along the continuum of light-opportunistic and light-sensitive species.

The heat is on: Thermoregulatory and evaporative cooling patterns of desert-dwelling bats

For small endotherms inhabiting desert ecosystems, defending body temperatures (Tb) is challenging as they contend with extremely high ambient temperatures (Ta) and limited standing water. In the arid zone, bats may thermoconform whereby Tb varies with Ta, or may evaporatively cool themselves to maintain Tb < Ta. We used an integrative approach that combined both temperature telemetry and flow through respirometry to investigate the ecological and physiological strategies of lesser long-eared bats (Nyctophilus geoffroyi) in Australia's arid zone. We predicted individuals would exhibit desert-adapted thermoregulatory patterns (i.e., thermoconform to prioritise water conservation), and that females would be more conservative with their water reserves for evaporative cooling compared to males. Temperature telemetry data indicated that free-ranging N. geoffroyi were heterothermic (Tskin = 18.9–44.9 °C) during summer and thermoconformed over a wide range of temperatures, likely to conserve water and energy during the day. Experimentally, at high Tas, females maintained significantly lower Tb and resting metabolic rates, despite lower evaporative water loss (EWL) rates compared to males. Females only increased EWL at experimental Ta = 42.5 °C, significantly higher than males (40.7 °C), and higher than any bat species yet recorded. During the hottest day of this study, our estimates suggest the water required for evaporative cooling ranged from 18.3% (females) and 25.5% (males) of body mass. However, if we extrapolate these results to a recent heatwave these values increase to 36.5% and 47.3%, which are likely beyond lethal limits. It appears this population is under selective pressures to conserve water reserves and that these pressures are more pronounced in females than males. Bats in arid ecosystems are threatened by both current and future heatwaves and we recommend future conservation efforts focus on protecting current roost trees and creating artificial standing water sites near vulnerable populations.

Cave Biodiversity of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Recognized as an important pathway between the east coast and the interior of the United States, much of the Cumberland Gap has been protected as part of the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (CUGA). CUGA also contains extensive karst habitats, including Gap Cave, one of the longest caves in Virginia. With the aim of better understanding the cave biodiversity of CUGA, we conducted biological surveys in park caves and compiled records of other animals from CUGA caves, including bat monitoring data extending back more than 35 years. Results of that work include: (1) collecting five new cave-obligate species (troglobionts) from CUGA caves, increasing the number of troglobionts known from CUGA from 11 to 16; (2) increasing the total records of troglobionts in CUGA caves from 17 to 39; (3) finding an undescribed isopod (now described as Lirceus zigleri) in the Gap Cave stream; (4) noting six species of bats, including two federally endangered species—Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) and northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis)—from CUGA caves; and (5) recognizing that Gap Cave once hosted one of the largest known populations of Indiana bats in Virginia. We present an annotated list of the animals found in the caves of the park. The caves of the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park provide critical habitat to two groups of species with distinct conservation concerns: poorly known troglobionts that exhibit extreme endemicity and bats under threat from white-nose syndrome disease.

Dietary partitioning in two gleaning bats, Japanese long-eared bats (Plecotus sacrimontis) and Ussuri tube-nosed bats (Murina ussuriensis): consuming insects of same order but different developmental stages

Abstract Knowledge of diet is essential for understanding the mechanism of coexistence among multiple species. Two gleaning bats, the Japanese long-eared bat (Plecotus sacrimontis) and the Ussuri tube-nosed bat (Murina ussuriensis), have similar eco-morphological traits, but it is unclear how they coexist. We examined the seasonal fecal contents of these species in the cool temperate forest of Mount Fuji, central Japan, using microscopical analysis. Long-eared bats, which have larger pinnae, more frequently consumed tympanate insects, such as adult moths, during early spring to summer, whereas tube-nosed bats, which have smaller pinnae, more frequently consumed non-tympanate insects such as caterpillars and grasshoppers, during spring to early summer and summer to autumn, respectively. Interestingly, they consumed insects of the same order but different developmental stages (i.e., adult moths and caterpillars) during spring to early summer, which revelation was made possible by microscopic analysis, not by DNA analysis. These differences suggest that the large pinna of the long-eared bat is an adaptation for preying on tympanate insects, which resulted in food resource partitioning. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, the Ussuri tube-nosed bat can be considered one of the bats that most frequently eats caterpillars.

The devil is in the detail: Environmental variables frequently used for habitat suitability modeling lack information for forest-dwelling bats in Germany.

In response to the pressing challenges of the ongoing biodiversity crisis, the protection of endangered species and their habitats, as well as the monitoring of invasive species are crucial. Habitat suitability modeling (HSM) is often treated as the silver bullet to address these challenges, commonly relying on generic variables sourced from widely available datasets. However, for species with high habitat requirements, or for modeling the suitability of habitats within the geographic range of a species, variables at a coarse level of detail may fall short. Consequently, there is potential value in considering the incorporation of more targeted data, which may extend beyond readily available land cover and climate datasets. In this study, we investigate the impact of incorporating targeted land cover variables (specifically tree species composition) and vertical structure information (derived from LiDAR data) on HSM outcomes for three forest specialist bat species (Barbastella barbastellus, Myotis bechsteinii, and Plecotus auritus) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, compared to commonly utilized environmental variables, such as generic land-cover classifications (e.g., Corine Land Cover) and climate variables (e.g., Bioclim). The integration of targeted variables enhanced the performance of habitat suitability models for all three bat species. Furthermore, our results showed a high difference in the distribution maps that resulted from using different levels of detail in environmental variables. This underscores the importance of making the effort to generate the appropriate variables, rather than simply relying on commonly used ones, and the necessity of exercising caution when using habitat models as a tool to inform conservation strategies and spatial planning efforts.

Disentangling genetic diversity of Myotis septentrionalis: population structure, demographic history, and effective population size

Abstract Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat) has recently suffered a &amp;gt;90% decline in population size in North America due to white-nose syndrome (WNS). We assessed genetic diversity, population structure, current effective population size, and demographic history of M. septentrionalis distributed across the United States to determine baseline levels pre-WNS. We analyzed RADseq data from 81 individuals from Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Additionally, we examined population genetic structure using discriminant analysis of principal components, fastStructure, and STRUCTURE. We then estimated effective population size and demographic history using fastsimcoal2. Similar levels of genetic diversity were found across all samples. We found no population genetic structure in the varied analyses from these contemporary samples. The best model for demographic history estimated a rapid population expansion followed by a slower expansion approximately 340,000 years ago. The vagility of M. septentrionalis, along with male dispersal and random mating, may provide a buffer against serious bottleneck effects stemming from rapid population declines due to WNS. This research provides a baseline for tracking and monitoring the influence of WNS on genetic diversity such as potential reduced diversity or increased population structuring in the future.

A multidisciplinary approach unveils the distribution of the Alpine long-eared bat Plecotus macrobullaris (Vespertilionidae) in Italy

Abstract Genetic techniques have allowed to identify a number of cryptic species of bats and to better define their distribution ranges and conservation status. Long-eared bats Plecotus spp. occur throughout Eurasia and Africa, with a high number of morphologically similar species, often occurring in sympatry. Therefore, disentangling the distribution of one species from another may be challenging. Italy represents a diversity hotspot for long-eared bats in Europe, hosting six species belonging to the genus Plecotus. In this study we report on both published and unpublished investigations on the Alpine long-eared bat Plecotus macrobullaris by integrating field and molecular methods, as well as opportunistic verified records from citizen scientists (i.e., individuals showing the diagnostic triangular chin pad in photos), to redefine the distribution of this species in Italy. We retrieved a total of 149 published records and 16 new confirmed records, namely 7 from iNaturalist, 6 from Facebook and 3 from molecular analyses. In Italy, the species occurs throughout the Alpine and Pre-Alpine chain, as well as in close proximity to the sea, and in Northeastern plains. Based on new records, we proved that it occurs also in other areas, including the Northern Apennine ridge. Our findings call for the application of an integrated approach in investigating cryptic species, that provides valuable data to support conservation assessments and the establishment of proper protection measures for poorly known species.

The genome sequence of the Brown Long-eared bat, Plecotus auritus (Linnaeus 1758).

We present a genome assembly from a female Plecotus auritus (Brown Long-eared bat; Chordata; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Vespertilionidae). The genome sequence is 2163.2 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 16 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.91 kilobases in length.

Plecotus macrobullaris sarmaticus subsp. nov. (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea.

The extinct mountain long-eared bat Plecotus macrobullaris sarmaticus subsp. nov. is described on the base of jaw remains from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida cave in central Crimea. This is the first record of the genus Plecotus in the Lower Pleistocene of Russia and the first fossil find of P. macrobullaris Kuzyakin, 1965, documenting the early stage of the evolutionary history of the species.

Using PIT tags to infer bat reproductive status and parturition date: busy nights during lactation

Abstract Passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) can aid in the collection of important demographic data for species for which other methods, such as GPS technology, are not suitable. PIT tags can be particularly suitable to monitor small and cryptic species like bats and permit inference on their behavioral ecology. Literature for several species of bats states that females change their nightly activity patterns—going out and in of the roost only once per night during gestation compared to several times during lactation. Hence, we tested whether PIT tag detection patterns could be used to infer reproductive status and parturition date of female bats. From 2017 to 2021, we recorded detections of PIT-tagged little brown (Myotis lucifugus) and northern long-eared bats (M. septentrionalis) at the entrance of 2 maternity roosts in Québec and Newfoundland, Canada. We also used the maternity roost in Québec as a case study to further evaluate the potential of this method to link behavior and demography and investigated factors affecting parturition date. We were able to infer reproductive status for 63% to 97% of tagged individuals detected during both the gestation and the lactation periods, and parturition date for 61% to 95% of reproductive individuals, depending on the year and roost. Early spring arrival at the roost and warm spring mean temperature at night were associated with earlier parturition dates. Herein, we highlight that PIT tag systems may be useful to detect changes in activity patterns of female bats and infer individual reproductive parameters, which is on the long-term less stressful for bats and easier for researchers. We demonstrate that this approach is useful to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic factors of reproductive parameters, improving our understanding of bat population dynamics resulting in more informed population management decisions.

Absence of lunar phobia in European swarming vespertilionid bats

“Lunar phobia” in bats has been widely discussed since its description in tropical bats in 1978. The phenomenon has been frequently contested and supported and was first reported in European bats in 2020. Our study seeks to clarify the debate by describing the relationship between the activity of selected swarming vespertilionid bats (Family: Vespertilionidae) and moonlight levels. To verify a potential connection to the latter, a swarming dataset was analysed in respect of estimated moonlight illumination. Moonlight estimates were based on geographical location and several lunar parameters, to accurately characterise the non-linear relationship between moon phase and illumination (lux). The swarming data consisted of 32 netting and 14 echolocation recording sessions collected between August and October 2014 and 2015. Our data included 3,265 netted bats from 13 species and 15,919 bat calls from 10 confirmed species. Data was collected at the large Central European hibernation/swarming site – Natura 2000 PLH080003 “Nietoperek” in western Poland (N 52.394400, E 15.480600). Generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) determined insignificant relationships between bats and moonlight illumination. Our analysis confirms an absence of impact of moonlight intensity on swarming bats and thereby rejects the lunar phobia phenomena in at least six insectivorous bat species (Myotis myotis, M. daubentonii, M. nattereri, M. bechsteinii, Barbastella barbastellus, Plecotus auritus) swarming in the autumn.

Climate is changing, are European bats too? A multispecies analysis of trends in body size.

Animal size, a trait sensitive to spatial and temporal variables, is a key element in ecological and evolutionary dynamics. In the context of climate change, there is evidence that some bat species are increasing their body size via phenotypic responses to higher temperatures at maternity roosts. To test the generality of this response, we conducted a >20-year study examining body size changes in 15 bat species in Italy, analysing data from 4393 individual bats captured since 1995. In addition to examining the temporal effect, we considered the potential influence of sexual dimorphism and, where relevant, included latitude and altitude as potential drivers of body size change. Contrary to initial predictions of a widespread increase in size, our findings challenge this assumption, revealing a nuanced interplay of factors contributing to the complexity of bat body size dynamics. Specifically, only three species (Myotis daubentonii, Nyctalus leisleri, and Pipistrellus pygmaeus) out of the 15 exhibited a discernible increase in body size over the studied period, prompting a reassessment of bats as reliable indicators of climate change based on alterations in body size. Our investigation into influencing factors highlighted the significance of temperature-related variables, with latitude and altitude emerging as crucial drivers. In some cases, this mirrored patterns consistent with Bergmann's rule, revealing larger bats recorded at progressively higher latitudes (Plecotus auritus, Myotis mystacinus, and Miniopterus schreibersii) or altitudes (Pipistrellus kuhlii). We also observed a clear sexual dimorphism effect in most species, with females consistently larger than males. The observed increase in size over time in three species suggests the occurrence of phenotypic plasticity, raising questions about potential long-term selective pressures on larger individuals. The unresolved question of whether temperature-related changes in body size reflect microevolutionary processes or phenotypic plastic responses adds further complexity to our understanding of body size patterns in bats over time and space.

Bats (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) of the Bashkiria National Park

In 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 in the national park “Bashkiria” located in the southeastern part of the Republic of Bashkortostan, studies of the local fauna of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) were carried out. The uniqueness of the specially protected natural area lies in the presence of linden-maple-oak forests located on the eastern border of their range and a wide variety of surface and deep relief forms associated with the development of karst rocks. As a result, data on the habitation of 12 species of bats, which belong to six genera of the Vespertilionidae family, were obtained. Of these, eight species are included in the regional Red Book. The species Nyctalus lasiopterus, listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, was found in the Republic of Bashkortostan for the fi rst time. A cadastre is presented with a description of the places of work, geographical coordinates and results of catches, information on wintering places, the nature of stay in the region, reproduction, age and sex composition of populations, indicators of relative abundance. According to traps, the most numerous in the national park are: Pipistrellus nathusii, Vespertilio murinus, Myotis brandtii, Nyctalus noctula, M. daubentonii and Plecotus auritus. Few species are: Eptesicus nilssonii, M. mystacinus, N. leisleri and M. dasycneme, while M. nattereri and N. lasiopterus are rare. In addition to the identifi ed species, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, discovered by us 30 km south of the borders of the national park, can live on the territory. Recommendations on the protection of bats and the introduction of N. lasiopterus into the Red Book of the Republic of Bashkortostan are presented.

Wintering Conditions and Heat Loss during Hibernation in the Brown Long-Eared Bat

The aim of this study was to estimate heat loss in the brown long-eared bat during hibernation depending on the refugioclimate conditions. The measured values of refugioclimate parameters were: ambient temperature (Ta) 3–10 °C, relative humidity (Rh) 74–98% and air velocity (v) 0.06–0.95 m/s. Heat loss was calculated using convective heat transfer equations. Mean heat loss amounted to 4 W/m2. The results were compared to the heat loss calculated based on the fat burned during hibernation. Bats flying into underground systems during the hibernation period were captured and their body mass was measured. A loss of body mass of 2.6 g over the 126 days of hibernation was observed. Heat loss equalled 3.115 W/m2K.The presented method of calculating energy expenditure allows for non-invasive monitoring of the heat and fat losses of bats during hibernation. Such research may find application in designing artificial wintering sites.

Big city bats: Species-specific effects of the urban matrix on forearm length and fat stores of bats in the West Midlands, United Kingdom (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

The effect of urbanisation on size and fat stores in bats has been poorly studied. We compare morphometric data in bats from two areas in the West Midlands, UK: one predominantly agricultural and one built-up. We examined forearm length and fat stores in 1,102 bats of five species (Myotis daubentonii, M. nattereri, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus, Plecotus auritus). All except M. daubentoniid were significantly larger in the urban area; fat stores were greater in rural M. nattereri and P. auritus, and in urban M. daubentonii and P. pygmaeus. For P. auritus, the differences were only significant in males.

Bats (Chiroptera) of the Ujście Warty National Park and the surrounding area

Bat research was carried out in 2012-2013 in the Ujście Warty National Park and in adjacent areas. Bats were caught in chiropterological nets, searched for in winter and summer roosts. Detector listening was carried out and the owls' diet was analyzed for the presence of bats among their prey. In the national park area, 11 species of bats were detected, and together with the Natura 2000 area "Ujście Warty" and the neighbouring areas, a total of 15 species were detected: the Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentonii, Natterer's bat Myotis nattereri, Brandt's bat Myotis brandtii, noctule bat Nyctalus noctula, serotine bat Eptesicus serotinus, common pipistrelle bat Pipistrellus pipistrellus, soprano pipistrelle bat Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Nathusius' pipistrelle bat Pipistrellus nathusii, brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus, gray long-eared bat Plecotus austriacus, western barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus, greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis, Bechstein's bat Myotis bechsteinii, pond bat Myotis dasycneme and the parti-coloured bat Vespertilio murinus. The bat fauna of this area is relatively rich compared to other protected areas and presented results constitute an important supplement to the knowledge about the vertebrate fauna of the national park and its vicinity.

Сучасна теріофауна лівобережжя Каньйонового Придністер’я

The article analyses the current state of the mammal fauna of part of Podolian Transnistria, which lies between the rivers Zbruch and Zolota Lypa (southern Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine). To designate the region, the publication uses a term from old Polish sources—Canyon Transnistria—which reflects the prevailing landform. The area of research in old faunal summaries is mentioned only as part of wider regions, such as Galicia, western Ukraine, or Ternopil Oblast. Over the past decades, the number of publications on the mammal fauna of this particular region has increased substantially, which makes it possible to make a summary overview. The modern mammal fauna of the region comprises 60 species belonging to 7 orders, 20 families, and 41 genera. Over the past 70 years, the mammal fauna of the studied region has undergone significant changes. Its dynamic component is almost 27%. It includes species of recent immigrants (Blyth’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus lepidus, mound-building mouse Mus spicilegus, muskrat Ondatra zibethicus), as well as two species that recovered their range (Eurasian beaver Castor fiber, wildcat Felis silvestris); the dynamic component also includes three extinct or probably extinct species—Geoffroy’s bat (Myotis emarginatus), Podolian ground squirrel (Spermophilus odessanus), and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). A group of phantom species has been singled out, which are known only from single old finds, and modern studies of these species are far from sufficient to understand their status. It includes the lesser mouse-eared bat (Myotis oxygnathus), Nathusius’s pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii), southern birch mouse (Sicista loriger), and Podolian mole rat (Spalax zemni). Such species as the long-eared bat (Plecotus austriacus) and the pygmy field mouse (Sylvaemus uralensis) appeared in the lists of the mammal fauna of the region due to changes in taxonomy. The rare component of the mammal fauna comprises 18 species (30%). The article provides a brief description of the current state of mammal populations in the region. Conservation recommendations are given for rare species.