Changes in activity and habitat use of the soprano pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus revealed by radio-tracking
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2005 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Abstracts of 19th Ogolnopolska Konferencja Chiropterologiczna, Pokrzywna, 4-6 Listopada, 2005 |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Zoology |
| Keywords | activity; habitat use; pipistrelles |
| Description | In 2004 and 2005, between 15 May and 11 July, the changes in foraging and roosting activity of lactating female of Pipistrellus pygmaeus were studied using by radiotelemetry. 15 females were radio-tagged in the field in south-eastern Moravia. Differences in the level of roosting and flying activity were statistically significant comparing three thirds of a night. On most nights each female visited minimum one night roost, half of them visited regularly two roost within one night. On average, the females occupied a roost 4 times per night. After parturition, distances between the night roosts and day roosts increased. The number of used night roosts declined towards weaning. Females visited night roosts more distant than one kilometer with. Time spent in a night roost did not differ during the lactation period. During lactation, when the distances from a roost to foraging grounds were the shortest, there was the longest flight over 1700 m. Six of studied females flew to foraging ground further than one kilometer. From the beginning of lactation, some females visited male roosts. After emergence from a day roost, females flew directly to night roosts and visited them several times during the night. We suppose that females moved their youngs to night roosts. It was found that suckling female P. pygmaeus similarly to P. pipistrellus, use several daily roosts the same reproduction season. Three of these roosts were occupied by larger number of bats, usually more than 50 individuals. The rate of movements between these shelters was very high. Low philopatry recorded in reproducing females makes it difficult to estimate the total number of members of one and the same nursery colony. Roost switching can be explained by the fission-fusion model demonstrated in some other tree dwelling bat species such as Eptesicus fuscus or Myotis bechsteinii. Its reasons are probably complex and can include variable microclimatic conditions, insufficient inner space of certain roosts and the impact of parasites.The study was supported by the grant No. 206/02/0961 of Grant Agency of the Czech Republic "Situation of Pipistrellus pipistrellus superspecies in the Czech Republic" and the grant of Ministry of Education, Young and Sports of the Czech Republic No. MSM0021622416. |
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