Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Basile Marteau, Petri Nummi, Thomas M. Lilley, Janne Sundell
Summary: The study found no difference in bird abundance between vernal pools and lakes, suggesting that vernal pools are not more attractive to birds. However, vernal pools are still an important and neglected diverse habitat type within the boreal landscape.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Leonardo Ancillotto, Rosario Rummo, Giulia Agostinetto, Nicola Tommasi, Antonio P. Garonna, Flavia de Benedetta, Umberto Bernardo, Andrea Galimberti, Danilo Russo
Summary: Forest ecosystems play a crucial role in conserving global biodiversity and human wellbeing. However, the increasing impact of environmental changes such as climate change, biological invasions, and forest pests poses a significant threat to forests. This study found that forest bats, specifically Barbastella barbastellus and Plecotus auritus, can act as important suppressors of agroforestry pest insects. Preserving animal diversity in forests is essential not only for the health of these ecosystems but also for the surrounding habitats, including farmland.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biology
Karoline H. Skara, Claus Bech, Mari Aas Fjelldal, Jeroen van Der Kooij, Rune Soras, Clare Stawski
Summary: This study investigated the thermoregulatory strategies of the whiskered bat, the smallest species within Chiroptera, near the northern limits of its distribution range. The metabolic measurements showed no significant differences in basal metabolic rate (BMR) compared to other vespertilionid bats, and environmental temperature had no effect on BMR within the Vespertilionidae family. The metabolic adaptation of these tiny bats to high latitude living remains an open question.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Karolina Cierocka, Joanna N. Izdebska, Leszek Rolbiecki, Mateusz Ciechanowski
Summary: This paper describes a new species of mite, Demodex pusillus, found on the hairy skin of Nyctalus noctula. The paper also includes new data on the coexistence of mites from the Demodecidae and Psorergatidae families in bats, as well as an updated global checklist and data on their occurrence and location within the hosts. The mites from both families colonize different microhabitats within the hosts, allowing different species to co-occur. The new species, Demodex pusillus, is the smallest known representative of the Demodecidae family.
Article
Ecology
Frauke Meier, Leo Grosche, Christine Reusch, Volker Runkel, Jaap van Schaik, Gerald Kerth
Summary: This study used automatic monitoring techniques and analysis pipeline to assess the individualized hibernation phenology of two sympatric bat species. The results showed that Daubenton's bats entered hibernation earlier and emerged later than Natterer's bats, resulting in a longer hibernation duration. Adult females entered hibernation earlier and emerged later than adult males in both species. Hibernation timing also differed among years and had differential effects on the two species.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Riley F. Bernard, Emma V. Willcox, Reilly T. Jackson, Veronica A. Brown, Gary F. McCracken
Summary: Research shows that North American hibernating bats primarily consume Lepidoptera and Diptera during winter activity periods.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Evan L. Pannkuk, Nicole A. S. -Y. Dorville, Shivani Bansal, Sunil Bansal, Yvonne A. Dzal, Quinn E. Fletcher, Kaleigh J. O. Norquay, Albert J. Fornace Jr, Craig K. R. Willis
Summary: This study investigates the lipidomic changes in bats with white-nose syndrome (WNS) and suggests that oxidative stress occurs in the early stages of WNS before fat depletion, but not inflammatory response. The study compared WNS-susceptible Myotis lucifugus to WNS-resistant Eptesicus fuscus and found altered splenic lipid levels only in M. lucifugus.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Jesus R. Hernandez-Montero, Michelle Adam, Gerald Kerth
Summary: The availability of suitable roosts is crucial for bat populations. However, attaching echo-reflectors to artificial roosts did not improve discovery and occupation by bats, despite their familiarity with this cue as an indicator of suitability. This has implications for bat conservation efforts.
ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Gaetano Fichera, Mauro Mucedda, Danilo Russo, Alessandra Tomassini, Andreas Kiefer, Michael Veith, Leonardo Ancillotto
Summary: This study assessed the bat assemblage composition on the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, revealing at least six species. This doubled the numbers known previously, including two typically African taxa. The research provides insights into their distribution, biogeography, and conservation planning, highlighting the importance of studying and conserving insular bat populations.
HYSTRIX-ITALIAN JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
E. P. Antonova, V. V. Belkin, V. A. Ilyukha, E. A. Khizhkin, S. N. Kalinina
Summary: This study examined the seasonal changes in body mass and activity of digestive enzymes in the pancreas and small intestine of the hibernating bat, Eptesicus nilssonii. The results showed that female bats had a slower decline in body mass during hibernation compared to males. Additionally, the activity of digestive enzymes remained low during hibernation, but increased before emergence from hibernation in spring.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Thomas J. O'Shea, Thomas R. Stanley, Daniel J. Neubaum, Melissa A. Neubaum, Roger D. Pearce, Richard A. Bowen
Summary: The study found that male big brown bats have lower attendance rates in maternity roosts, mostly due to sex-specific energetic strategies and natal philopatry of young males, with mating likely occurring at higher elevation autumn roosts.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Dmitriy G. Smirnov, Vadim A. Bezrukov, Nailya M. Kurmaeva
Summary: The study investigated the summer habitat and foraging behavior of female E. nilssonii with different reproductive statuses. It was found that pregnant and post-lactating females exhibit regular roost switching, while lactating females tend to use the same roost for most of the lactation period. The emergence of bats in the evening is influenced by light and typically occurs around 40 minutes after sunset. Female home range sizes are similar in spring and summer, and they predominantly forage at forest edges, clearings, and riverbank areas with vertical vegetation structure.
RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF THERIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Marketa Harazim, Juliette Perrot, Hugo Varet, Herve Bourhy, Julien Lannoy, Jiri Pikula, Veronika Seidlova, Laurent Dacheux, Natalia Martinkova
Summary: Bats have unique immune adaptations and tolerance to viruses, allowing them to survive in a hibernation state. The immune reaction of bats includes localized response, early pathogen sensing, high interferon expression without pathogen stimulation, and regulated inflammatory response. However, in conditions simulating hibernation, infected bat cells show no significant response, which may contribute to virus tolerance or persistence in bats.
Article
Zoology
C. Di Gregorio, M. Iannella, M. Biondi
Summary: This study aims to determine the role of climate in shaping the distributions of two parapatric bat species in Europe, using ensemble Habitat Suitability Modeling. The results show that temperature- and precipitation-linked variables well explain the observed parapatry of the two target species, with extreme range contractions during the Last Glacial Maximum and subsequent expansions during the Middle Holocene. This study confirms the impact of glacial cycles on shaping the biogeography of European fauna.
EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2021)