Basal Rates of Metabolism of Nectarivorous Bats (Phyllostomidae) from a Semiarid Thorn Forest in Venezuela

Arends, Alexis; Bonaccorso, Frank J.; Genoud, Michel

doi:10.2307/1382765

Cited by 39 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Similar to the case in hummingbirds, hovering flight allows glossophagine bats to visit a larger number of flowers per time unit and therefore improves overall foraging efficiency (Tschapka and Dressler, 2002). Nectar-feeding bats, as well as hummingbirds, combine a high metabolic rate (Berger and Hart, 1974;Arends et al, 1995) with flight, an expensive mode of locomotion (Speakman and Thomas, 2003). These high energetic requirements are met by the consumption of large amounts of nectar.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological specialization influences nectar extraction efficiency of sympatric nectar-feeding bats

Gonzalez-Terrazas

Medellín

Knörnschild

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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) was found in the small G. soricina and the highest in the largest species L. yerbabuenae. However, when also considering the different energy requirements of the different-sized bat species, the morphologically most specialized M. harrisoni consistently showed the highest foraging efficiency. Our data suggest that the long rostrum and tongue of the extremely specialized M. harrisoni are probably not evolved for monopolization of co-evolved deep flowers but for allowing efficient access to the broadest range of the local chiropterophilous flower resources.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological specialization influences nectar extraction efficiency of sympatric nectar-feeding bats

Gonzalez-Terrazas

Medellín

Knörnschild

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…The temperatures we selected for our experiments represented the minimum T a registered at night in the warmest and coldest months of the year at the capture site (Rodríguez-Peña et al, 2007;AyalaBerdon et al, 2009). While these temperatures may not represent extreme temperature conditions in relation to the T a faced by these species along their geographic distribution, or those used in previous metabolic studies for Glossophaginid bats (Arends et al, 1995;Cruz-Neto and Abe, 1997;Kelm and von Helversen, 2007), they gave us important information on the responses of these two species to the real ecological conditions faced in the field by the individuals from the populations used in this study.…”

Section: Use Of Torpormentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of diet quality and ambient temperature on the use of torpor by two species of neotropical nectar-feeding bats

Ayala-Berdon

Vázquez-Fuerte

Beamonte‐Barrientos

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Neotropical bats use torpor as a strategy to save energy when they experience a low energy intake and/or low ambient temperature (T a ). Digestive physiology limits the energy intake of several glossophaginid bats, and could play an important role in the onset of torpor in these tropical animals. We measured the effect that diet quality and T a had on the use of torpor by the nectar-feeding bats Glossophaga soricina and Leptonycteris yerbabuenae. Captive bats were fed with 5% (low) or 35% (high) sucrose solutions while exposed to two different T a (17.7 and 23.2°C; low T a and high T a ) in four different treatments: (1) high sucrose:high T a , (2) high sucrose:low T a , (3) low sucrose:high T a and (4) low sucrose:low T a . We measured their energy intake, changes in body mass (ΔM b ) and skin temperature (T skin ) as response variables. Energy intake (in 10 h) was limited when both species fed on 5% sucrose, but body mass gain was only affected in G. soricina. Energy intake and T a had a negative effect on the minimum T skin of both species, and ΔM b affected the time that G. soricina used torpor. Both species remained normothermic on the high sucrose:high T a treatment, but used torpor on the other three treatments. Bats used torpor during their resting and activity periods. Leptonycteris yerbabuenae spent more time in torpor in the low sucrose:high T a treatment, while G. soricina used this strategy for longer periods of time in the high sucrose:low T a treatment. We found that diet quality and T a played an important role in the use of torpor by nectar-feeding bats.

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“…megalophylla and L. curasoae have strict 'hot cave' roosting requirements (Bonaccorso et al, 1992;Arends, Bonaccorso & Genoud, 1995). Few caves provide these conditions on Curac¸ao, but the Grot van Hato did contain Mor.…”

Section: Dwelling Disturbancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The conservation of Kueba di Jetchi, Kueba di Rat´on and the Bos´a system is thus crucial. It is also possible that large numbers of bats are necessary to keep the temperature optimal (Arends et al, 1995) and losing part of the population may have a cascade effect on the rest of the population.…”

Section: Dwelling Disturbancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surveying bats for conservation: the status of cave‐dwelling bats on Curaçao from 1993 to 2003

Petit¹,

Rojer²,

Pors³

2006

Animal Conservation

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In view of their ecological importance and the abundance of threats on a developing Caribbean island, we surveyed the bats of Curac¸ao, Netherlands Antilles, and examined changes in the populations of seven threatened species over a decade, using previously published data as a baseline for comparison. The most important caves for bats (in terms of species representation and reproduction) were visited yearly, and monthly in 2001. Noctilio leporinus still occurs on the island, but does not appear to be numerous (six observed in 2003). We captured Myotis nesopolus nesopolus, but its roosting sites remain unknown. Leptonycteris curasoae curasoae numbers varied greatly, even within a year, and it may travel to and from other islands and Venezuela. Overall, however, the population of this species on Curac¸ao seems to be declining (1000 in 1993 and 625 in 2003); the disappearance of this pollinator could have severe consequences for the Curac¸ao ecosystem. Mormoops megalophylla intermedia is declining as well; in 2003, we counted 403 individuals including 75 pups, from 500 to 600 adults in the 10 previous years, representing a 25-30% decline in 1 year. We estimated the population of Natalus tumidirostris to be 890 in 2003. We also found a group of 60 Pteronotus davyi in Kueba di Rat´on in 2003. Glossophaga longirostris elongata (1417 individuals counted) is the only species for which our data indicate relative stability over 10 years; L. curasoae and Mor. megalophylla are declining and other species must be monitored closely. Most caves are disturbed; four major caves require attention for the conservation of the most fragile species. Without immediate attention, Mor. megalophylla, in particular, risks imminent extinction. Despite problems associated with bat counts on Curac¸ao, it is clear that regular surveys are crucial to understand bat populations and their fluctuations in caves, and to allow management responses to declines, particularly for areas undergoing rapid urbanization.

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Basal Rates of Metabolism of Nectarivorous Bats (Phyllostomidae) from a Semiarid Thorn Forest in Venezuela

Cited by 39 publications

References 18 publications

Morphological specialization influences nectar extraction efficiency of sympatric nectar-feeding bats

Morphological specialization influences nectar extraction efficiency of sympatric nectar-feeding bats

Effect of diet quality and ambient temperature on the use of torpor by two species of neotropical nectar-feeding bats

Surveying bats for conservation: the status of cave‐dwelling bats on Curaçao from 1993 to 2003

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