Bats (Mammalogy)

White-nose syndrome (WNS) and wind-turbine facilities on the Delmarva Peninsula are emerging threats to the peninsula's current bat fauna. However, until our study, there had been no assessment of bat populations or their habitats in that region. The purpose of our research was to fill this gap by using 28 road-based transects and 24 passive-monitoring sites to acoustically monitor bats across the peninsula. In total, we recorded 4432 bat-call sequences and documented the presence of at least 6 species: Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bat), Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown Bat), Nycticeius hu-meralis (Evening Bat), L. cinereus (Hoary Bat), Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored Bat), 1 or more species in the genus Myotis, and potentially Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silver-haired Bat). Given the similarity in call structure between Silver-haired and Big Brown Bats, we cannot say with certainty the former were present. Eastern Red Bats, Evening Bats, and Hoary Bats were relatively widespread and abundant; Tri-colored Bat and Myotis were not. Of the species for which adequate sample sizes were available, all but the Hoary Bat (and possibly the Silver-haired Bat) showed strong preferences for forest edges, demonstrating the importance of these landscape features for maintaining healthy bat populations. Point-counts along road transects and stationary-monitoring sites yielded similar results, suggesting that road-based transects are a valuable tool for surveying bat populations across large geographic areas.

A B S T R A C T Insectivorous bats populate habitats that adjoin or overlap with agricultural lands, and tend to use cultivated land for foraging and commuting. The goal of the study was to assess the principal factors influencing the activity and species richness of insectivorous bats in a semi-arid Mediterranean agroecosystem. We hypothesized that bat activity and species richness are influenced by the anthropogenic factors that are typical of agroeco-systems, such as fragmentation of the landscape and loss of natural habitat, agrochemical use, presence of powerlines and roads, and proximity to urban areas. We recorded bats in a diversified semi-arid Mediterranean agroecosystem in 2012 and 2013 and estimated the effect of various anthropogenic and environmental factors on their activity. The proportion of natural and semi-natural habitats at the landscape and at the plot scale were the most important predictors of total bat activity, and of the activity the two most common species recorded, Pipistrellus kuhlii and Tadarida teniotis, both known to be synanthropic. Indeed, P. kuhlii had a positive association with the proximity to bodies of water and to settlements. Total bat activity was negatively associated with the use of agrochemicals. Thus, in line with our predictions, both the proportion of natural land cover in the environment and the use of agrochemicals play an important role in determining bat distribution in agricultural environments. Ecological inferences based on our results can be used to develop management schemes, such as restoring patches of natural vegetation near and within farmlands, to increase the suitability of agroecosystems as habitats for insectivorous bats. These could contribute both to the protection of endangered bat species and to bio-control of insect pests.

Transparency technique to demonstrate cartilage and skeleton has been used from years 70. This consists basically of the muscle digestion through an enzyme (trypsine), and the staining of cartilage and skeleton using alcian blue and alizarin red on specimens previously fixed to formalin. This technique can be used to study the state of the cartilage and the bones in different stages of the development and to observe abnormalitys. Also it can be used to demonstrate museum specimen skeleton preserved in liquid. In this article is showed the application of this technique for the first time in rodents and adult bats, besides some annotations to optimize the procedure.

Amaç: 2007 - 2015 yılları arasında arazide karşılaşılan, hakkında kısıtlı da olsa veriler edinilen memelilere ilişkin bilginin paylaşılması mevcut çalışmanın amacını teşkil etmektedir. Bu veriler, fotoğraflar, kısmen düzenli olarak kaydedilmiş veriler ve kısa notlar olarak sunulmuştur. Bildiriye numaralandırılmış bir isim verilmesi sayesinde çalışmaların tekrarlı hale getirilmesi amaçlanmaktadır.
    Gereçler ve Yöntemler: Çalışma kapsamında, karşılaşılmış 9 memeli organizmanın (Sciurus vulgaris, Sus scrofa, Vulpes vulpes, Martes sp., Tursiops truncatus, bir Chiroptera üyesi, Erinaceus concolor, Lutra lutra ve Meles meles), 3 ilde (Aydın, Denizli ve Muğla) bulundukları yerler harita üzerinde gösterilmiş, karşılaşma tarihleri, koordinatları, bulunuş şekilleri ve birey sayıları kaydedilmiştir. Ayrıca her organizmaya ait görsellerle çalışma zenginleştirilmiştir. İhbarlarla gelen bilgiler sayesinde veriler desteklenmiştir. Aktif saha çalışmalarının gerçekleştirilmesinde hem profesyonel fotoğraf makinalarından hem de fotokapan kullanım yöntemlerinden yararlanılmıştır.
    Sonuç: Çalışmanın çıktıları değerlendirildiğinde, türlerin bulunuşlarının zorluğu dikkat çekmektedir. Ayrıca Meles meles gibi bazı türlerin ölü olarak bulunması gibi sorunların varlığı göze çarpmaktadır. Bu bakış açısı geliştirildiğinde, ülkemizde yapılacak kapsamlı mamalojik çalışmaların önemi ön plana çıkmaktadır. Bu çalışmalara ait sonuçların, söz konusu organizmalarla iç içe yaşam süren yöre insanları ile paylaşılması bilim insanlarının yükümlülüğüdür.

Question: How does the pitcher plant Nepenthes hemsleyana facilitate roosting of mutualistic bats? Hypothesis: Pitchers have adaptations that match the shape and body size of small woolly bats. Organisms: The pitcher plant Nepenthes hemsleyana, its close relative N. rafflesiana, and the woolly bat Kerivoula hardwickii. Field sites: Peat swamps and heath forests in western Brunei Darussalam on the island of Borneo. Methods: We measured various morphological traits of N. hemsleyana that might facilitate bat roosting and compared them to pitchers of N. rafflesiana that is not visited by bats. We compared the size and characteristics of the pitchers with body sizes of roosting bats. Conclusions: As predicted, aerial pitchers matched the body size of bats and had lower digestive fluid levels than pitchers of a close relative. Thus, small morphological differences between closely related species have caused rapid dietary niche divergence.

We examined food habits of Vespertilionidae bats Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821) and Eptesicus furinalis (d’Orbigny, 1847) by fecal analysis in cerrado sensu stricto and gallery forests, within APA – Gama-Cabeça-de-Veado, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil. Out of 20 fecal samples collected, seven were of Eptesicus furinalis and 13 of Myotis nigricans. The diet of E. furinalis included six orders of insects: Coleoptera (5/7 by items presence), Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera (3/7), Diptera, Hemiptera and Homoptera (1/7). The diet of M. nigricans included all the main orders consumed by E. furinalis (6/13, 4/13, 4/13, 3/13, 1/13, and 4/13 respectively) and one other order: Orthoptera (1/13). Homoptera, Diptera and Orthoptera were collected only in bats captured in gallery forest. There is 80% of overlap in the diet of these two species. Predation on species of Scarabeidae, Hesperiidae, Sphingidae and Saturniidae families confirms bats potential as biological control agents of pests in agricultural ecosystems.

Herein we document the first case of albinism in Black Mastiff bat Molossus rufus É. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1805. The specimen was collected in Iquitos City (Northwestern Peru); it was an adult male with ventral and dorsal white pelage, red eyes, and depigmented wing membranes, nose leafs and ears.

Como carnívoro oportunista, el Gran falso murciélago vampiro espectral (Vampyrumspectrum) se encuentra en la parte alta de la pirámide alimenticia al igual que otros grandes carnívoros de los bosques tropicales. La especie se distribuye desde Veracruz, México hasta el centro de Brasil y Norte de Bolivia. En Ecuador y Perú ha sido registrada a ambos lados de la cordillera de los Andes, en altitudes desde el nivel del mar hasta los 1550 msnm. Se reporta aquí un estudio de un refugio de V. spectrum, con cuatro individuos, encontrado en una cavidad del tronco de un árbol de Ceibo (Ceiba pentrandra), en el bosque Matorral seco de tierras bajas de la Reserva Ecológica Arenillas (REA) del cantón Arenillas, provincia de El Oro, suroccidente de Ecuador. El estudio se llevó a cabo entre julio 2011 y julio 2012, donde se colectó una vez por mes los restos de presas y excretas depositados en una red permanente instalada en la base del refugio.
Adicionalmente, se colocó una cámara trampa para registrar la actividad de cacería durante cinco días. El material identificado revela que la colonia de Vampyrum spectrum se alimentó de: 15 especies diferentes de aves, con un rango de tamaño preferido desde 12,5 hasta 21,5 cm, siendo la especie más consumida Cyanocorax mystacalis, además de cinco especies de mamíferos y cuatro de insectos de tamaño considerable. No se realizaron capturas de los murciélagos para no ahuyentarlos, por lo que se desconoce datos de sexo, según su apariencia se presume que se trata de una pareja adulta y sus crías desarrolladas.
Los resultados preliminares del comportamiento, indican un patrón de cacería solitaria, realizada por un adulto del grupo, a quien se registró ingresar al refugio con presas decapitadas; según las muestras analizadas, fue evidente que las vísceras no fueron consumidas.

I worry about caves. I’ve been worrying about them ever since reading about the role played by Kitum Cave in the known history of Marburg virus disease. In the 1980s, two separate visitors to this “elephant cave” in Mount Elgon National Park were infected and subsequently died. Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) have since been identified as a reservoir host for marburgviruses, and it may well be that the inhalation of microbes from bat guano was the means by which these unfortunate tourists contracted the deadly disease.

I’m also fascinated by caves: they’re contagious in more ways than one. The islands of the Zanzibar archipelago, with their extensive limestone reef terraces, are riddled with caves and sinkholes. They’re a distinctive feature of the coral rag or karst landscape of both Unguja and Pemba, though often hidden from sight by thick vegetation, especially along the forested scarps in the south and east of the main island. Many of the caves have cultural significance as mizimu, the abodes of spirits that are regularly propitiated by the local guardians who have inherited this responsibility.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate species identification and rabies virus (RABV) characterization among samples from bats submitted for rabies testing in the United States and assess whether a standardized approach to specimen selection for RABV characterization could enhance detection of a sentinel event in virus dissemination among bats.
SAMPLE
United States public health rabies surveillance system data collected in January 2010 through December 2015.
PROCEDURES
The number of rabies-tested bats for which species was reported and the number of RABV-positive samples for which virus characterization would likely provide information regarding introduction of novel RABV variants and translocation and host-shift events were calculated. These specimens were designated as specimens of epizootiological importance (SEIs). Additionally, the estimated test load that public health laboratories could expect if all SEIs underwent RABV characterization was determined.
RESULTS
Species was reported for 74,928 of 160,017 (47%) bats submitted for rabies testing. Identified SEIs were grouped in 3 subcategories, namely nonindigenous bats; bats in southern border states, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands; and bats of species that are not commonly found to be infected with RABV. Annually, 692 (95% CI, 600 to 784) SEIs were identified, of which only 295 (95% CI, 148 to 442) underwent virus characterization. Virus characterization of all SEIs would be expected to increase public health laboratories’ overall test load by 397 (95% CI, 287 to 506) samples each year.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Species identification and RABV characterization may aid detection of a sentinel event in bat RABV dissemination. With additional resources, RABV characterization of all SEIs as a standardized approach to testing could contribute to knowledge of circulating bat RABV variants. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2020;256:77–84)

The early radiation of cetaceans coincides with the origin of their defining ecological and sensory differences . Toothed whales (Odontoceti) evolved echolocation for hunting 36-34 million years ago, whereas baleen whales (Mysticeti) evolved filter feeding and do not echolocate . Echolocation in toothed whales demands exceptional highfrequency hearing , and both echolocation and ultrasonic hearing have also evolved independently in bats . The motor protein Prestin that drives the electromotility of the outer hair cells (OHCs) is likely to be especially important in ultrasonic hearing, because it is the vibratory response of OHC to incoming sound waves that confers the enhanced sensitivity and selectivity of the mammalian auditory system . Prestin underwent adaptive change early in mammal evolution and also shows sequence convergence between bats and dolphins [9, 10], as well as within bats . Focusing on whales, we show for the first time that the extent of protein evolution in Prestin can be linked directly to the evolution of high-frequency hearing. Moreover, we find that independent cases of sequence convergence in mammals have involved numerous identical amino acid site replacements. Our findings shed new light on the importance of Prestin in the evolution of mammalian hearing.

Phytophagous or fruit bats feed primarily on fruits, seeds, and flower buds. Some fruit bats also feed on flower nectar, a habit that affects pollination and plant dispersal. As a consequence of chiropteran nectarivory many commercially important plant species are known to be pollinated. Nectar is an important source of carbohydrates and water for bats. Plant characteristics that influence pollination include time of anthesis; mode of nectar secretion; the colour, odour, morphology, position of flowers; the amount and protein content of pollen; the volume of nectar; and, the concentration of sugar. Rousettus leschenaulti or the fulvous fruit bat has an altitudinal range extending from sea level to 1500m. Its diurnal roosts are located in caves, deserted buildings, disused tunnels and occasionally, trees. R. leschenaulti is exceptional in that it is the only known fruit bat in the world with echolocation ability albeit a very simple system. The diet of R. leschenaulti in Sri Lanka consists of fruit juices, pulp, flower nectar, and leaves. Fulvous fruit bats like to feed upon flowers of banana (Musa x paradisiaca). Generally, bats wait until the bracts open naturally in order to commence feeding. We speculate that R. leschenaulti starts ‘force’ feeding prior to bract opening in order to counter resource competition.

In mammals, adult behaviour patterns are often expressed by juveniles throughout ontogeny. In bats, many social behaviours develop before pups are weaned, but the ontogeny of social
behaviours in juvenile bats is largely unexplored. We studied bat pups’ social behaviour, specifically the solicitations for maternal care in the greater sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx bilineata. Solicitation periods were prolonged (up to 25 min) and consisted of conspicuous behavioural interactions between pups and their mothers. Since solicitation periods could be initiated by pups or mothers, their duration is probably not caused by a conflict over nursing alone. Solicitation periods were the second most prevalent use of activity time in pups. Some pup behaviours resembled the courtship behaviours of adult males and these incipient courtship behaviours occurred most often within solicitation periods. Both length and complexity of solicitation periods increased significantly during ontogeny but there was no significant difference between male and female pups. Also, the activity outside of solicitation periods was not significantly different between pups of both sexes, even though their activity differs remarkably as adults. Prolonged solicitation periods of S. bilineata pups might be comparable to mammalian play and potentially function as practice for adult courtship behaviours.

Nepenthes hemsleyana is a lowland species that occurs in peatswamp and heath forests in north-western Borneo. It is very similar in appearance to Nepenthes rafflesiana, a species that is widespread in the Sunda region, but differs by its elongated pitcher form and the presence of an epicuticular wax zone in the aerial pitchers. Moreover, N. hemsleyana more or less completely lacks typical traits for prey attraction: nectar, effective UV light patterns and volatiles. Due to this, N. hemsleyana's insect capture rate is up to seven times lower than that of N. rafflesiana. For a long time it remained an enigma how N. hemsleyana copes with such a small predation success.

A complete review of microbat records available from five Western Oases of the Egyptian part of the Libyan Desert (Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga) is presented, covering both literature data and particularly new records obtained during the field research carried out in 2010–2012. In total, six species of microbats from three families were recorded in the oases, but only Asellia tridens was found in all five oases. Taphozous nudiventris (known from two oases), Pipistrellus kuhlii (four oases) and Vansonia rueppellii (two oases) are reported from the Western Desert of Egypt for the first time (although P. kuhlii and V. rueppellii were known before from the Libyan part of the Desert). T. nudiventris is for the first time mentioned for the whole Libyan Desert, while Otonycteris hemprichii and Plecotus christii were known previously from both parts of the Desert. Rather surprisingly, Rhinopoma cystops has not yet been documented in the Egyptian part of the Libyan Desert. An unus...

We studied the diet of the Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) in Pakistan from March 2008 to February 2009 and found that
the bats fed on 20 species belonging to 11 plant families. Of these, four families (Anacardiaceae, Bignonaceae, Malvaceae, and
Sapotaceae) were identified from remnants of flower petals in food boluses while the remaining families (Annonaceae, Arecaceae, Ebenaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Myrtaceae, and Sapindaceae) were identified from the seeds in the boluses and from guano samples. Plants in the family Moraceae (50.7%) comprised most of the bat’s diet. Fruit of Ficus retusa (27.5%) and F. carica (23.0%) during winter, F. glomerata (30.9%) and F. religiosa (28.1%) during spring, Psidium guajava (19.6%), F. bengalensis (18.7%) and Diospyros peregrina (17.8%) during summer, and D. peregrina (71.9%) during autumn, were the most frequently identified items. The four seasonal diets varied significantly (χ2 = 435, d.f. = 18, P < 0.01). Results confirm that the ecological services rendered by P. giganteus, such as pollination and seed dispersal, outweigh its losses, such as damage to the ripe fruit. Hence, the species should not be regarded as a pest; rather efforts should be made to ensure its conservation.

Limestone karst landscapes are important for biodiversity yet are increasingly threatened by development activities such as mining. Furthermore, karsts are often scattered and isolated by agriculture, and are rarely considered in landscape planning because of a paucity of biodiversity data. We determined the conservation significance of an isolated limestone karst outcrop for insectivorous bats by quantifying the influence of this roosting resource on local assemblage structure across a fragmented landscape in peninsular Malaysia. Using a combination of rank abundance, gradient and randomisation analyses, we demonstrate that bat assemblages at nine forest sites are structured following a spatial gradient of increasing distance from a karst roosting resource. The assemblage at our karst site was dominated by a superabundance of three cave-roosting species, two of which were also found to dominate assemblages up to 11 km away. Cave-roosting bats exhibited a significant decay in abundance related to the distance from karst, with sites closest to karst also characterised by a rarity of tree cavity/foliage-roosting species that were otherwise common. Gradient analysis revealed that differences in assemblage composition were largely associated with the distance from the karst and, to a lesser extent, forest isolation and area. Our findings suggest that isolated karst outcrops can serve as important population reservoirs for caveroosting bats, which subsidise diversity levels in forest fragments that might otherwise be expected to decline over time. While conservation efforts need to focus on maintaining large areas of connected forest, landscape management needs to ensure protection of karsts as point resources for cave-roosting bats.

Resumen. Este trabajo registra por primera vez la presencia de los murciélagos Eptesicus furinalis, Glossophaga morenoi, Myotis auriculus y Platyrrhinus helleri para el estado de Hidalgo, México. Los ejemplares se obtuvieron durante los muestreos realizados entre agosto de 2008 y mayo de 2010. De cada ejemplar se proporcionan las medidas externas y craneales, la condición reproductora, así como el tipo de vegetación donde fueron encontrados. Palabras clave: riqueza, primeros registros, vegetación. Abstract. We register for the first time the presence of the bats Eptesicus furinalis, Glossophaga morenoi, Myotis auriculus and Platyrrhinus helleri for the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. The bats were obtained between August 2008 and May 2010. We provide for each bat external and cranial measures, reproductive status, as well as the type of vegetation where they were found.

Populations of Myotis bechsteinii in Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (southwestern Spain) survive in a large, old-growth coniferous woodland, which is in contrast with known ecological preferences of the species. We tracked ten lactating females and studied patterns of habitat selection by Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii) at two spatial scales: macrohabitat and microhabitat, regarding forest essence (coniferous vs. deciduous). The tracked individuals always foraged within forested areas and did not use areas devoid of trees. At the macrohabitat level, no positive selection of deciduous stands was apparent, suggesting selection studies of coarse resolution may not be able to capture subtle selection patterns. At the microhabitat level Myotis bechsteinii selected deciduous patches within the coniferous matrix, therefore, our results corroborate the perception of this species as dependent of services provided by deciduous woodlands. Larger foraging home ranges and commuting distances as compared with other Mediterranean localities suggest that our studied population inhabits a marginal or suboptimal environment in terms of habitat quality. We argue that this population of Bechstein's bat has survived as a relict one probably as a consequence of fragmentation and transformation of deciduous forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean range.

Bats are often associated with zoonotic diseases risks, a trend that has been magnified by the global COVID-19 pandemic, although no direct infection from bat to huiman has been demonstrated. Rapid deforestation is also a mjor contributing factor to new viral emergencies. Education is a suitable tool to minimize prejudice against bats as a key step to creating a harmonius coexistence between humans and bats. This book address such topics as bats in folklore and culture, bat dispersal patterns, bats in ecosystem management, pesticide exposure risks, roost-tier preference. diversity and conservation, and ecology of white-nose syndrome.

Habitat loss and degradation are perceived as main factors threatening biodiversity. Historical rather than contemporary processes are often responsible for present patterns of species’ distribution, but their respective contributions are not always easy to disentangle. The strict forest specialist, sedentary, highly phylopatric Bechstein’s bat (Myotis bechsteinii) is an ideal model species to assess the effect of historical landscape transformations in the current distribution patterns of forest species. Although to date the species has been considered almost absent from the Mediterranean range (Southern Europe), recently it has been shown to be common in certain spots there. We test whether the present distribution and ecological preferences of the species in this area are related to biogeographical constraints or to clearance of forests from preferred areas. We assessed roost selection, spatial ecology, foraging habitat selection, and prey selection in Atlantic and Mediterranean domains of the Iberian Peninsula. Ecological requirements appeared conserved throughout, but roost selection appeared less constrained in the Mediterranean localities. Hunting occurred preferentially inside closed deciduous oak forest in both regions, but commuting distances and foraging areas were larger in the Atlantic, together with higher habitat fragmentation and lower prey availability. The same prey taxa were eaten in both regions, although their frequency in the diet varied, matching differences in availability. Consequently, scarcity of these bats in Mediterranean Iberia seems to be better explained by the retreat or loss of deciduous forests due to human impacts, coupled with climate change.

Why do some animal’s echolocate? Does it require enough energy for them to not use it all the time unless they really need to?  Moving around costs energy, so animals do not move around unless they need to, or if they are hungry. Does this hold true for echolocation? To preserve energy for their more urgent demands, many animals would choose not to use it if that holds to be true. How do animals resolve this issue? For example, a bat’s life relies entirely on echolocation. Animals that do fly have to use a lot of energy unlike ones that do not fly.  Bats have to use echolocation calls that are a lot higher in intensity than an animal that does not fly and always stays on land. At a landing site, bats are characterized by their switch from a single pulse of echolocation to multiple pulse groups. By hearing reflections of high-pitched vocal sounds discharged by bats, they can detect and avoid obstacles afterwards. So how does the beat cycle of a bat’s wings correlate with echolocation and help them be aware of something that is directly or indirectly in front of them? Also, do aquatic animals such as whales echolocate? If they do, what happens if they lose most of their ability to do so? Dolphins and toothed whales have gone through many adaptations to suit their needs in an aquatic environment, such as the development of high frequency hearing and use of echolocation. Echolocation systems, such as those of odontocetes and bats, involve both hearing and sound production.

Le Chott de Djendli (3700 ha) appartient au complexe des zones humides Sud-constantinoises. L’étude menée de février 2006 à mars 2007 nous a permis la caractérisation bioécologique des éléments tant biotiques qu’abiotiques du site. Elle nous a également permis d’avoir un aperçu sur son importance, en étudiant et en suivant plusieurs paramètres physico-chimiques du sol et de l’eau ainsi que la richesse floristique et faunistique. En effet, nous avons déterminé le…

Coleura afra (Peters, 1852) is known from different localities across portions of sub-Saharan Africa. A colony of about 5,000
individuals of this species was recently identified in a cave, south east of Edea in the Littoral Region of Cameroon). This represents the first record of this species in Cameroon and helps bridge the distributional gap between other sites it is known from in West and East Africa. Some details are also presented on its ecology at the Cameroonian site.

Among all roads threats, roadkills in highways are considered the greatest source of anthropic pressure on wild vertebrate populations. In Brazil, data on bat-vehicles collisions are scarce and underestimated in studies on roadkilled fauna. Herein we present the first records of bat-vehicles collisions in the southern region of Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Eleven individuals were recorded, belonging to at least four species. Sturnira lilium presented the highest frequency of collisions, followed by Artibeus lituratus. The diet and foraging behavior are the most likely factors that explain the number of roadkilled bats in highways.

The replacement of conventional lighting with energy-saving light emitting diodes (LED) is a worldwide trend, yet its consequences for animals and ecosystems are poorly understood. Strictly nocturnal animals such as bats are particularly sensitive to artificial light at night (ALAN). Past studies have shown that bats, in general, respond to ALAN according to the emitted light color and that migratory bats, in particular , exhibit phototaxis in response to green light. As red and white light is frequently used in outdoor lighting, we asked how migratory bats respond to these wavelength spectra. At a major migration corridor, we recorded the presence of migrating bats based on ultrasonic recorders during 10-min light-on/light-off intervals to red or warm-white LED, interspersed with dark controls. When the red LED was switched on, we observed an increase in flight activity for Pipistrellus pygmaeus and a trend for a higher activity for Pipistrellus nathusii. As the higher flight activity of bats was not associated with increased feeding, we rule out the possibility that bats foraged at the red LED light. Instead, bats may have flown toward the red LED light source. When exposed to warm-white LED, general flight activity at the light source did not increase, yet we observed an increased foraging activity directly at the light source compared to the dark control. Our findings highlight a response of migratory bats toward LED light that was dependent on light color. The most parsimonious explanation for the response to red LED is phototaxis and for the response to warm-white LED foraging. Our findings call for caution in the application of red aviation lighting, particularly at wind turbines, as this light color might attract bats, leading eventually to an increased collision risk of migratory bats at wind turbines.

Mustached bats, Pteronotus parnellii parne!lii spend most of their lives in the dark and use their auditory system for acoustic communication as well as echolocation. The sound spectrograms of their communication sounds or "calls" revealed that this species produces a rich variety of calls.