Acta Chiropterologica, 4(1) 2002: 1-16
Call parameters and facial features in bats: a surprising failure of
form following function
AMANDA GOUDY-TRAINOR1, 2 and PATRICIA W. FREEMAN1, 3
1University of Nebraska State Museum and School of Biological Sciences,
W436 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514, USA
2Present address: Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, 1223 Capitol Court,
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53715-1299, USA
3Corresponding author: E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We attempted to correlate echolocation call parameters to a comprehensive array of ear and nose measurements from 12 families of bats. Surprisingly, we failed to find any significant relationships. We did find consistent differences between nasal and oral emitters such as: (a) nasal emitters have higher frequencies with maximum energy for their size than oral emitters, (b) nasal emitting bats tend to have longer, narrower skulls, and (c) nasal emitters have a shorter distance from the nostril to the eye (muzzle length).
Key words: Chiroptera, call parameters, echolocation, nasal and oral sound emission, facial features, noseleaves, ears, muzzle length
Acta Chiropterologica, 4(1) 2002: 17-24
The influence of regional climate and nightly weather conditions on
activity patterns of insectivorous bats
JANET L. ERICKSON1, 2 and STEPHEN D. WEST1
1College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
2Present address: Department of Forest Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5752, USA
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We examined the influence of average climatic conditions and nightly weather variations using bat detectors on the summer activity of bats. Average summer precipitation was the principal climate variable correlated with differences in bat activity along a latitudinal array of sites, with the highest activity levels occurring at sites located in montane rain shadows. On a nightly basis, the occurrence of rain and low temperatures had strong negative correlations with flight activity. However, the variation in nightly activity at a site that was explained by weather was relatively small. Our results suggest that the use of long-term climatic data offers potential to predict variations in bat activity among sites. Such information may be useful in recognizing conservation priorities for the management of bats in the Pacific Northwest where topography is complex and climate conditions are variable.
Key words: bats, climate, activity patterns, bat detector, Pacific Northwest
Acta Chiropterologica, 4(1) 2002: 25-32
Effects of different surfaces on the perception of prey-generated noise by the Indian false vampire bat Megaderma lyra
GANAPATHY MARIMUTHU1, KOILMANI EMMANUVEL RAJAN1, 3, SRIPATHI KANDULA1,
STUART PARSONS2, and GARETH JONES2
1Department of Animal Behaviour and Physiology, School of Biological Sciences,
Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625 021, India; E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, Great Britain
3Department of Molecular Recognition and Biostructure, Institute of Biotechnology, National University Autonomous of Mexico, APDO 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62250, Mexico
The low- and high-frequency components of a rustling sound, created when prey (freshly killed frog) was jerkily pulled on dry and wet sandy floors and asbestos, were recorded and played back to individual Indian false vampire bats (Megaderma lyra). Megaderma lyra responded with flight toward the speakers and captured dead frogs, that were kept as reward. The spectral peaks were at 8.6, 7.1 and 6.8 kHz for the low-frequency components of the sounds created at the dry, asbestos and wet floors, respectively. The spectral peaks for the high-frequency sounds created on the respective floors were at 36.8, 27.2 and 23.3 kHz. The sound from the dry floor was more intense than that of from the other two substrata. Prey movements that generated sonic or ultrasonic sounds were both sufficient and necessary for the bats to detect and capture prey. The number of successful prey captures was significantly greater for the dry floor sound, especially to its high-frequency components. Bat-responses were low to the wet floor and moderate to the asbestos floor sounds. The bats did not respond to the sound of unrecorded parts of the tape. Even though the bats flew toward the speakers when the prey generated sounds were played back and captured the dead frogs we cannot rule out the possibility of M. lyra using echolocation to localize prey. However, the study indicates that prey that move on dry sandy floor are more vulnerable to predation by M. lyra.
Key words: Megaderma lyra, gleaning, passive sound localization, prey detection
Acta Chiropterologica, 4(1) 2002: 33-47
Feeding ecology of Pteropus rufus (Pteropodidae) in the littoral forest
of Sainte Luce, SE Madagascar
AN BOLLEN1, 2, 3 and LINDA VAN ELSACKER1, 2
1University of Antwerp, Department of Biology, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
2Centre for Research & Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26,
B-2018 Antwerp, Belgium; E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
3Department of Ecology & Conservation, Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg,
Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
This paper examines bat-plant interactions by focusing on the fruit diet and food selection of flying foxes (Pteropus rufus) in the littoral forest fragments of Sainte Luce, SE Madagascar. Analyses of faecal samples and opportunistic observations revealed 40 endemic plant species in the diet. The bats mainly eat odorous ripe and juicy berries. No particular fruit colour was predominant in their diet. Both multi- and single-seeded fruits are eaten. Small seeds (1-3.5 mm in length) are usually swallowed whole. Passage through the digestive tract of the flying foxes does not reduce the germination rate of seeds nor the percentage of seeds germinated. This study indicates that the role of flying foxes in both short and long distance seed dispersal for a large number of endemic tree species of the littoral forest should not be underestimated when designing reforestation programs in particular or conservation action plans in general.
Key words: Pteropus rufus, seed dispersal, frugivory, Madagascar
Acta Chiropterologica, 4(1) 2002: 49-54
Feeding ecology of the common slit-faced bat (Nycteris thebaica)
in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
ERNEST C. J. SEAMARK1 and WIESŁAW BOGDANOWICZ2
1Department of Nature Conservation, Mangosuthu Technikon, P.O. Box 12363, Jacobs 4026,
Republic of South Africa; E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, Poland
Monthly samples of arthropod remains (n = 1,190 culled parts) collected over a year from under a Nycteris thebaica night roost in the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve (South Africa) show that prey eaten by bats vary significantly by order but not by season. Nevertheless, there was a significant interaction between the prey category and season, suggesting that these two factors are not independent from each other. Coleoptera (49.6% in the culled parts, calculated as percent composition) dominated in spring (September-November), Orthoptera (38.8%) in summer (December-February), Hemiptera (42.8%) in autumn (March-May), and Lepidoptera (36.3%) in winter (June-August). The diet also included a frog and a small fish (n = 2 parts).
Key words: Nycteris thebaica, Nycteridae, culled parts, diet, South Africa
Acta Chiropterologica, 4(1) 2002: 55-76
Systematic implications of chromosome GTG-band and bacula morphology for Southern African Eptesicus and Pipistrellus and several other species of Vespertilioninae (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)
TERESA C. KEARNEY1, 2, MARIANNE VOLLETH3, GIANCARLO CONTRAFATTO4,
and PETER J. TAYLOR5
1Biology Department, University of Natal, Private Bag X10, Dalbridge,
Durban, 4014, Republic of South Africa
2Present address: Vertebrate Department, Transvaal Museum, P.O. Box 413, Pretoria, 0001,
Republic of South Africa; E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
3Dept. of Human Genetics, Otto-von-Guericke-University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany
4Biology Department, University of Natal, Private Bag X10, Dalbridge,
Durban, 4014, Republic of South Africa
5Durban Natural Science Museum, P.O. Box 4085, Durban 4000, Republic of South Africa
Phylogenetic analyses of bacular and chromosomal GTG-band characters verify the suggestion that Eptesicus hottentotus (A. Smith, 1833) is the only true Eptesicus Rafinesque, 1820 of the six southern African species (capensis, cf. melckorum, rendalli, somalicus and zuluensis) formerly classified as Eptesicus. GTG-banded chromosomes studied in rendalli, zuluensis and capensis confirm the affiliation of all of them to the genus Neoromicia; these species were previously placed in the Pipistrellus Kaup, 1829, subgenus Neoromicia based on bacular morphology. For karyological reasons, the elevation of the subgenus Neoromicia to generic rank is established by the presence of three Robertsonian fusion chromosomes (7/11, 8/9, 10/12) as distinguishing characters. The move of Hypsugo nanus and cf. melckorum to the genus Neoromicia is indicated by chromosomal analysis and bacular morphology, respectively. The close phylogenetic relationship between Pipistrellus cf. kuhlii and P. rusticus is shown by a shared Robertsonian fusion element (11/12).
Key words: bacula, GTG-banded chromosomes, Eptesicus, Pipistrellus, Neoromicia
Acta Chiropterologica, 4(1) 2002: 77-97
On a collection of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from The Gambia
DIETER KOCK1, LINDA BARNETT2, JAKOB FAHR3, and CRAIG EMMS2
1Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2Research and Development Unit, Department of Parks and Wildlife Management,
P.O. Box 2164, Serrekunda, The Gambia
3Department of Experimental Ecology (Bio III), University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11,
D-89069 Ulm, Germany
A recent collection of bats from The Gambia presented in this publication comprises 17 species, four of which (Lissonycteris angolensis, Pipistrellus (P.) rusticus, P. (Neoromicia) guineensis, and Scotoecus hirundo) represent new records for The Gambia, raising the total number of known species from 27 to 31. Notes on taxonomy, distribution, ecology and biology are presented.
Key words: Gambia, Chiroptera, taxonomy, distribution, ecology, biology
Acta Chiropterologica, 4(1) 2002: 99-106
SHORT NOTES
Differential ingestion of Ficus seeds by frugivorous bats: a first experimental test
in Ptenochirus jagori (Pteropodidae)
JOCHEN REITER
Conservation Biology Unit, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany E-mail:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Key words: Ptenochirus jagori, germination, seed dispersal, Ficus, Philippines, differential ingestion
Commensal aerobic bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal tract of Pipistrellus nathusii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae): lack of Escherichia coli in fecal samples
TOMASZ JARZEMBOWSKI
Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Gdansk, ul. Do Studzienki 38,
80-227 Gdansk, Poland; E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Key words: Pipistrellus nathusii, oral cavity, feces, commensal flora, Escherichia coli, Poland
Unia Europejska
