Detailed karyotype analysis including fluorescence in-situ hybridization with chromosome-specific and sub-regional probes revealed novel cytogenetic signatures for elucidating phylogenetic relationships in Vespertilionoidea. Two shared derived Robertsonian fusions characterize all members of this superfamily. Further, the majority of Molossidae species show karyotypes with 48 chromosomes, including six of seven species studied here, namely Ozimops petersi, Mormopterus jugularis, Tadarida teniotis, Mops mops, Molossus molossus and M. pretiosus. A shared derived feature of all molossid taxa studied is a variant homolog to Myotis myotis chromosome MMY22. Despite their overall similarity in karyotype composition with one large and three medium-sized bi-armed as well as 19 acrocentric to subtelocentric autosomal pairs, our detailed analysis revealed small differences which shed new light onto molossid phylogenetic relationships. Because of the retention of several ancestral chromosomal characters, O. petersi and M. jugularis represent early offshoots of the molossid tree. A unique derived paracentric inversion in the MMY6 homolog unites all other molossids studied so far. The next species to branch off is T. tadarida, followed by a group composed of M. mops and all studied New World taxa, united by a further derived inversion in the MMY5 homolog. In the light of our findings, we recommend to elevate the subspecies M. t. griseiventer to species rank, because the specimen from Venezuela with a 2n = 42 karyotype differed clearly from the nominate subspecies Molossops t. temminckii with 2n = 48. Further, karyotypes of Miniopterus and Natalus were studied. In the 2n = 46 chromosomal complement of the family Miniopteridae a large number of autapomorphic characters were found. Based on the observation of a common derived condition of the MMY22 homolog, we assume that long-winged bats (Miniopteridae) are closer related to vespertilionids than to molossids. Finally, karyotype comparison in Natalus revealed two autapomorphic characters in the 2n = 36 chromosomal complement.

Phylogenetic relationships and species delimitation in African Vespertilionini have been a long-standing subject of debate and are still controversial, although recent molecular analyses have shed light onto some of these issues. In this study we employed a comparative cytogenetics approach for the delineation of chromosomal homology and for the detection of shared chromosomal characters, which were then used to support proposed phylogenetic relationships. Here, we present karyotype analyses of five African Vespertilionini, Laephotis kirinyaga (2n = 32), Neoromicia guineensis (2n = 26), Pseudoromicia brunnea (2n = 36), Nycticeinops happoldorum (2n = 24), and Nycticeinops schlieffenii (2n = 34), which were complemented by mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis for species classification of all our specimens. Our cytogenetic analyses revealed that three derived Robertsonian fusion chromosomes, 7/11, 8/9, and 10/12, characterize the karyotypes of four African Vespertilionini genera, i.e. Laephotis, Neoromicia, Afronycteris, and Pseudoromicia, for which we propose to constitute a new subtribe, Laephotina. A rare chromosomal rearrangement, an X-autosome translocation, was found in the studied N. guineensis female. The genus Nycticeinops is characterized by a high intrageneric karyotype diversity. In only two of all four analyzed species, i.e. N. happoldorum and N. crassulus, a common chromosomal feature, the fusion product 1/13 was detected. Further, for the recently described East African serotine, L. kirinyaga, we present the second record for West Africa. The cytochrome b sequence of our N. guineensis specimen from Ivory Coast showed 4% divergence to that of its closest relative, N. somalica from Kenya.

The chiropteran collection that has been recovered from the two chronologically different fossiliferous assemblages of the Loutra Almopias Cave A (Pella, Macedonia, Greece) is studied. The specimens retrieved from the cave's floor sediments (LAC) are of the Late Pleistocene, whereas the specimens retrieved from the elevated chamber LAC Ia are of latest Pleistocene age. The first comprehensive systematic taxonomy and biogeographic analysis of a fossil chiropteran fauna from the Greek region was accomplished, based on the determination of the 9,004 chiropteran specimens. This resulted in the identification of 17 species from LAC and 20 from LAC Ia from three families (Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Miniopteridae) and nine genera (Rhinolophus, Myotis, Nyctalus, Pipistrellus, Vespertilio, Eptesicus, Plecotus, Barbastella, Miniopterus). Seven bat species described from the Loutra Almopias Cave A are the first known records in Greece and one species is the first Late Pleistocene record from the Balkan Peninsula. Eighteen species refer to the southernmost appearance of the Late Pleistocene of the Balkan Peninsula. Loutra Almopias Cave A served primarily as a nursery roost for many bats, and secondarily as a warm refuge during colder periods. Almost all of the chiropteran species described in this paper are now permanently resident in the region adjacent to the cave. Almost all bat species found in the Loutra Almopias Cave A are also present in the records of several localities from the Balkan Peninsula as Similarity analysis between the chiropteran faunas is indicative of an equivalent distribution in the region during the Late Pleistocene. In conclusion, the Late Pleistocene bat fauna from the Loutra Almopias Cave A is, up to date, the richest and most diverse not only from the Greek region, but also from the Balkan Peninsula.

Paraguay lies in an area of transition between the tropics and subtropics, and encompasses the interface of six South American ecoregions. Because of its central location within the climatic and biotic schema of the South American continent, Paraguay is ideal for exploring a variety of biogeographic and ecological questions. Several studies have evaluated the taxonomic, biogeographic and migratory status of the 59 species of bats currently recognized in Paraguay, and other studies have evaluated aspects of population genetics and community ecology of frugivorous bats in eastern Paraguayan forests. However, no study has evaluated the environmental factors influencing bat community structure within the mosaic of savanna ecoregions which extend over a majority of the Paraguayan territory. Based on conservative selection criteria, six bat communities from the Cerrado, Humid Chaco and Dry Chaco were evaluated in this study. Climatic data included a suite of temperature and precipitation parameters for each site. Latitude and longitude were also included as factors potentially predicting bat community parameters. Gini-Simpson diversity indices were calculated for each site, separately for species diversity, taxonomic diversity and trophic diversity. Environmental variables were evaluated for their associations with each of the three diversity indices. Significant differences were found among the six sites based on each of the three diversity indices. In general, precipitation variables are more influential than temperature variables in determining bat community diversity levels in Paraguayan savanna ecosystems. Species diversity can best be predicted with a linear combination of mean annual precipitation and mean precipitation of the driest month. Taxonomic diversity is best predicted using mean annual precipitation alone. In contrast, best prediction of trophic diversity is with mean precipitation of driest month. Species and taxonomic diversity patterns were generally concordant for the Cerrado and Humid Chaco communities, whereas trophic diversity was inconsistent among the Humid Chaco communities. An analysis of variance combining the three diversity indices, showed three non-significantly different groups of communities: (1) the two Dry Chaco communities; (2) a Dry Chaco and a Humid Chaco community; and (3) the Cerrado and three Humid Chaco localities. These results should be considered in bat conservation management strategies, which should incorporate benchmarks not only of species diversity, but also of taxonomic and trophic diversity.

Paraguay se encuentra en un área de transición entre los trópicos y subtrópicos, abarcando una interfaz de seis ecorregiones sudamericanas. Por su ubicación central a nivel climático y biótico del continente sudamericano, es ideal para presentar diferentes preguntas biogeográficas y ecológicas. Varios estudios han evaluado el estado taxonómico, biogeográfico y migratorio de las 59 especies de murciélagos actualmente registradas, otros han evaluado aspectos de genética poblacional y ecología de comunidades de murciélagos frugívoros en los bosques del este de Paraguay, pero ninguno ha evaluado los factores ambientales que influyen en la estructura de la comunidad dentro del mosaico de ecorregiones de sabana que se extienden sobre gran parte del territorio. Se evaluaron seis comunidades de murciélagos, considerando criterios conservadores de selección. Los datos climáticos incluyeron parámetros de temperatura y precipitación para cada sitio. La latitud y la longitud se incluyen como potenciales factores para predecir parámetros de la comunidad. Se calcularon por separado, índices de diversidad de Gini-Simpson para cada sitio, para diversidad de especies, diversidad taxonómica y diversidad trófica. Así también, variables ambientales fueron evaluadas y asociadas con cada índice de diversidad. Se registraron diferencias significativas entre los seis sitios con respecto a los tres índices de diversidad. Las variables de precipitación influyen más que las de temperatura para determinar los niveles de diversidad de la comunidad en ecosistemas de sabana. La diversidad de especies fue determinada utilizando la combinación lineal de precipitación media anual y precipitación media del mes más seco. La diversidad taxonómica se predice mejor utilizando únicamente la precipitación media anual. La predicción de la diversidad trófica es más compleja, ya que combina la precipitación media anual, error estándar de precipitación media anual, precipitación media del mes más seco y rango de temperatura diurna media. Los patrones de diversidad taxonómica y de especies fueron semejantes para comunidades del Cerrado y Chaco Húmedo, mientras que la diversidad trófica fue inconsistente entre comunidades del Chaco Húmedo. El análisis de la varianza de los tres índices de diversidad juntos, mostró que tres grupos de comunidades no presentaron diferencias significativas: las dos comunidades del Chaco Seco; una del Chaco Seco y una del Chaco Húmedo; la del Cerrado y tres localidades del Chaco Húmedo. Estos resultados deben ser considerados para estrategias de manejo de conservación, incorporando puntos de referencia no solo de diversidad de especies, sino también de diversidad taxonómica y diversidad trófica.

Flexibility in resource selection by a species at the edge of its geographic distribution is a key factor in determining the chance of successful range expansion. The evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) is a medium-sized vespertilionid that is widely distributed over a span of 17 degrees of latitude, from the Gulf of Mexico northward to the Great Lakes in North America. In the core of their range, evening bats prefer mature and commonly available trees that are located close to water sources as maternity roosts. However, data are lacking on roost selection by this wide-ranging species in the periphery of its distribution. In this study, we examined roost selection of the evening bat at the northern edge of its continental range. We radio tracked 44 evening bats in Michigan, United States, and identified 33 maternity trees. We collected variables at individual tree, plot, and landscape scales and compared roost and randomly selected trees. Although evening bats preferred roosting in Fraxinus (ash), we found that the evening bat was a generalist in its choice of roost genera, as long as the tree receives sufficient solar exposure, which is presumably important at the cool, northern edge of its range. At the landscape level, evening bats favored roosts surrounded by a less dense canopy, which would provide easy access for a flying bat and allow considerable solar radiation to strike the tree for additional warmth. We also found that evening bats preferred forest sections with more forest-farmland edges. We suspected that evening bats at the northern edge of their range show less preference in roost selection than evening bats in the core of their range. This flexibility in roost selection could allow the evening bat to expand further north if summers become warmer and other tree-roosting species decline due to white-nose syndrome, thus providing competitive release.

Lonchophylla is a genus of currently 13 nectar-feeding bat species found throughout Central and South America, including Lonchophylla mordax Thomas, 1903, a species endemic to Brazil. Currently nationally categorized as ‘Data Deficient’, L. mordax has several knowledge gaps, including basic ones on its natural history. Here, we provide information on L. mordax’s pattern of nocturnal activity, reproductive peak, sex and age ratios, its relationship with ectoparasites, as well as its distribution and taxonomy. Fieldwork was conducted in the Caatinga (seasonally dry tropical forest) in north-eastern Brazil between 2012 and 2015, during which we captured 110 L. mordax individuals. Our results showed that there was no significant difference in body mass or forearm length between males and females, with a sex ratio of 1:1. We obtained four adult individuals for every subadult captured. Lonchophylla mordax individuals were active throughout the entire sample night period but with a significant peak in activity in the first 30 min after sunset. The number of captures was strongly negatively correlated with minutes after sunset. Pregnant females were captured between July and February, and subadults were captured mainly in July and August, suggesting that the peak of births occurred at the end of the dry period and the beginning of the rainy period in the study area. Additionally, almost 70% of L. mordax individuals were parasitized by streblid flies, with no significant difference in parasite load observed across seasons, sexes, and ages. However, the individuals’ body condition index was negatively correlated with the parasite load. Natural history research, such as that described here, helps to fill knowledge gaps on L. mordax, including providing data for the decision-making in conservation plans. Moreover, we add information for a species-rich genus with closely related, but poorly-studied, species globally listed as threatened or near-threatened.

Lonchophylla es un género de 13 especies de murciélagos que se alimentan de néctar y se encuentran en toda América Central y del Sur, incluyendo Lonchophylla mordax Thomas, 1903, una especie endémica de Brasil. Actualmente categorizada a nivel nacional como ‘Datos Insuficientes’, L. mordax presenta varios vacíos de conocimiento, incluyendo información básica sobre su historia natural. Aquí, proporcionamos información sobre el patrón de actividad nocturna de L. mordax, su pico reproductivo, relaciones de género y edad, su relación con los ectoparásitos, así como su distribución y taxonomía. El trabajo de campo se llevó a cabo en el bioma Caatinga (bosque tropical estacionalmente seco) en el noreste de Brasil entre 2012 y 2015, durante el cual capturamos 110 individuos de L. mordax. Nuestros resultados mostraron que no había una diferencia significativa en la masa corporal o la longitud del antebrazo entre machos y hembras, con una proporción de sexos de 1:1. Se obtuvo cuatro individuos adultos por cada subadulto capturado. Los individuos de L. mordax estuvieron activos durante todo el período de muestreo nocturno, pero con un pico significativo de actividad en los primeros 30 min después de la puesta del sol. El número de capturas se correlacionó negativamente de manera significativa con los minutos después del atardecer. Las hembras preñadas fueron capturadas entre julio y febrero, y los subadultos fueron capturados principalmente en julio y agosto, lo que sugiere que el pico de nacimientos ocurrió al final del período seco y al comienzo del período lluvioso en el área de estudio. Además, casi el 70% de los individuos de L. mordax estaban parasitados por moscas Streblidae, sin diferencia significativa en la carga parasitaria observada entre estaciones, sexos y edades. Sin embargo, el índice de condición corporal de los individuos se correlacionó negativamente con la carga parasitaria. La investigación de la historia natural, como la descrita aquí, ayuda a llenar los vacíos de conocimiento sobre L. mordax, lo que incluye proporcionar datos para la toma de decisiones en los planes de conservación. Además, agregamos información para un género rico en especies con especies estrechamente relacionadas, pero poco estudiadas, globalmente listadas como amenazadas o casi amenazadas.

An astonishing number of bat fatalities (2,371 belonging to 15 species) were recovered in a provincial surveillance program at wind farms in Cádiz, at the southern tip of Spain, in 2005–2016. We carefully analysed a subset of this sample intending to estimate the true fatality rate in the year 2011, the year for which we had the richest data set (582 fatalities at 38 wind farms). To estimate the true fatality rate, we conducted search-efficiency and scavenger-removal trials in nine wind farms involving 122 turbines and 289 observed fatalities and calculated the searchable surface. An annual fatality rate of 41.1 dead bats per turbine (26.4 per MW) was estimated in the study area using a self-developed estimator due to the singularities of the surveillance program. Our estimator results are lower than those obtained using the Generalized Mortality Estimator (GenEst) developed by U.S. Geological Survey. Estimates of 37,689 or 33,370 fatalities were made according to the province's number of turbines or MW in 2011. Some areas have registered the highest fatality rates ever recorded for bats in wind turbines anywhere globally, even more so because we have been conservative. There is an urgent need for efficient preventive and mitigation measures at wind farms in risky landscapes and with a high rate of bat fatalities, but trials are also needed to know how well the post-operational monitoring is done and how far it is from reality. Clearly, current official post-construction surveillance programs are inefficient for searching bats and therefore mask a high fatality rate, mainly of sedentary bats.

Human alterations of landscapes, such as habitat conversion and infrastructure buildouts have caused population declines and extinctions of numerous species. Anthropogenic change negatively impacts surrounding landscapes, but in some cases, lead to an increase in synathropy. Bats are one such group that often take advantage of human altered landscapes, roosting in anthropogenic structures such as buildings and transportation infrastructure. However, less is known about how non-traditional or artificial roost sites may affect persistence of synathropic bat species. We conducted a literature review to evaluate the ecological relationship between bats and artificial roosts, specifically transportation structures, as they are often the only roost structures available in some landscapes. Our evaluation revealed that numerous studies on artificial roost selection have been conducted in the eastern region of North America, as well as abroad. Use of transportation structures by bats varies across landscapes, specifically due to variation in annual climate, availability of natural roosts, and bridge structure design. This review enhances our understanding of bat roost ecology, possible pitfalls of synanthropic behaviour, and identify trends related to bat-bridge associations that may improve conservation outcomes for synanthropic species.

Alopecia, or alopecia syndrome is the partial or complete loss of hair from an animal's body. Following a previous report on bats with alopecia, in this work we complemented the list of bat species with alopecia available in the literature through 2023, adding phyllostomids (Artibeus planirostris, Carollia perspicillata), an emballonurid (Peropteryx pallidoptera), molossids (Molossus rufus, Nyctinomops macrotis), and vespertilionids (Corynorhinus rafinesquii, Eptesicus fuscus, Nycticeius humeralis, Myotis austroriparius, M. grisescens, M. velifer). We also explored factors that may explain alopecia in the first records of this condition in ten Pteronotus mesoamericanus females from Oaxaca, southeastern Mexico, recorded from November 2020 to January 2022. In those individuals, hair loss was observed on the back and head; six of them were lactating and four showed no evidence of reproductive activity. In addition, we documented alopecia on the thorax in four individuals of three species: Artibeus lituratus (one pregnant female and one male with scrotal testes), Pteronotus fulvus (one pregnant female), and Artibeus toltecus (one pregnant female). The alopecic bats presented mild alopecia (the affected area ranged from 1–5 cm²), and only one female showed moderate alopecia (8.1 cm²). Alopecia in P. mesoamericanus, P. fulvus, A. toltecus, and A. lituratus may be due to hormonal or nutritional imbalances associated with reproduction. In addition, in A. lituratus it may also be the result of environmental stress when foraging in an urban area. The causal agents of alopecia in bats are still not fully known, and it is probably a multifactorial phenomenon.

La alopecia, o síndrome de alopecia es la pérdida parcial o total del pelo del cuerpo de un animal. Siguiendo un informe previo sobre murciélagos con alopecia, en este trabajo complementamos la lista de especies de murciélagos con alopecia disponibles en la literatura hasta 2023, agregando filostómidos (Artibeus planirostris, Carollia perspicillata), un embalonúrido (Peropteryx pallidoptera), molósidos (Molossus rufus, Nyctinomops macrotis) y vespertiliónidos (Corynorhinus rafinesquii, Eptesicus fuscus, Nycticeius humeralis, Myotis austroriparius, M. grisescens, M. velifer). También exploramos los factores que pueden explicar la alopecia en los primeros registros de esta condición en diez hembras de Pteronotus mesoamericanus de Oaxaca, sureste de México, registradas desde noviembre de 2020 hasta enero de 2022. En esos individuos se observó pérdida de pelo en el dorso y la cabeza; seis de ellos estaban lactando y cuatro no mostraron evidencia de actividad reproductiva. Además, documentamos alopecia en el tórax en cuatro individuos de tres especies: Artibeus lituratus (una hembra gestante y un macho con testículos escrotados), Pteronotus fulvus (una hembra gestante) y Artibeus toltecus (una hembra gestante). Los murciélagos alopécicos presentaron alopecia leve (el área afectada osciló entre 1–5 cm²), y solo una hembra presentó alopecia moderada (8.1 cm²). La alopecia en P. mesoamericanus, P. fulvus, A. toltecus y A. lituratus puede deberse a desequilibrios hormonales o nutricionales asociados con la reproducción. Además, en A. lituratus también puede ser el resultado del estrés ambiental cuando se alimenta en un área urbana. Los agentes causales de la alopecia en murciélagos aún no se conocen por completo, y probablemente se trate de un fenómeno multifactorial.

This study assessed and related quantitative age determination methods based on cranial bone fusion and dental development to linear morphometrics in Rousettus aegyptiacus. Five growth development stages were identified based on cranial suture fusion and degree of second molar tooth eruption. Expressing these growth development stages in measurement size showed a linear growth pattern, with little overlap between smaller (stages 1, 2, and 3) and larger (stages 4 and 5) individuals. Total skull length (TSL), mastoid breadth (MB) and forearm length (FAL) had the highest influence on variation along the first and second principal components, accounting for 93% of variation. Advanced size was confirmed to relate to aging owing to development of cranial suture fusions and dental development. The smallest and largest individuals were significantly (P < 0.05) separated by measurements of TSL, MB and FAL. Meanwhile, some intermediate sized individuals overlapped despite being in different stages of cranial suture development. Species specific reliability in morphological approaches to age determination can be achieved by establishing a baseline reference, which may be directly related to the quantitative cementum growth assessment method.

Acoustic lures, using a range of bat social, feeding and distress calls, are being used increasingly to improve capture rates in surveys and ecological studies of bats globally. However, much information on their effectiveness is anecdotal. We tested the effectiveness of the Sussex Autobat acoustic lure system using a standard Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii) social call for catching two rare and endangered New Zealand bat species, the long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) and lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) during lactation and post-lactation periods. The long-tailed bat forages primarily along forest edges, whereas the lesser short-tailed bat forages largely within cluttered forest interiors. Harp traps were set in paired locations over 18 nights in each of the late-lactation and post-lactation periods with an equal treatment/control (lure/no lure) sampling design. Sixty-four long-tailed bats and 97 lesser short-tailed bats were captured, with 100% of long-tailed bats and 93% of short-tailed bats being caught while using acoustic lures. Lesser short-tailed bats were caught more frequently than long-tailed bats, perhaps reflecting the greater abundance of lesser short-tailed bats. Captures were biased towards juveniles and males in both species, regardless of sampling period. Capture rates using lures were about 100 times higher than catch-rates from ‘expert-placed’ traps. Further research is needed to determine (a) if calls of New Zealand bat species (or other calls) can be used to increase capture rates further, and (b) if capture rates of female bats can be improved.

Monitoring of animals over extended periods provides valuable information about their ecology and behaviour. Marking methods have been proposed and successfully used for numerous species, and yet a reliable, inexpensive method has not been found for bats. Available methods, including wing bands and collars, have also caused injury, and, in some cases, lead to death. We propose wing tattoos as an alternative method, as this has been extensively used to mark small mammals in both laboratory and field conditions. Initially we used tattoo equipment from the Animal Identification and Marking System (AIMS™, Canada), but adapted this and bought commercially available tattoo equipment, for human use, to set up our own tattoo system. We captured and tattooed 7,711 bats from 12 species across four years at three locations in South Africa between January 2013 and December 2019. Of these animals a total of 439 were recaptured with one individual captured 2,465 days after the initial tattoo, indicating the longevity of this method. In a captive population of Rousettus aegyptiacus, wing tattoos had no measurable negative effect on the animals, with no deaths and no infections, and remained legible over 927 days. Wing tattoos offer a non-lethal, cost-effective and long-lasting method to mark bats and monitor populations over long distances.