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Roost selection and home range of an African insectivorous bat Nycteris thebaica (Chiroptera, Nycteridae)

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Published/Copyright: October 13, 2009
Mammalia
From the journal Volume 73 Issue 4

Abstract

Roost site selection, daily movement patterns and home range area of African bats are poorly known. We used radio-telemetry to investigate these parameters in the African bat Nycteris thebaica. The bats predominantly used antbear Orycteropus afer burrows or culverts as night roosts. Day roost sites included caves and antbear burrows. Individuals travelled an average of 1.1 km between day roosts and foraging areas, a distance similar to that predicted from a comparative study of aspect ratios. Foraging (home) ranges were relatively small and averaged 12.9 ha. The foraging range of each bat overlapped on average with the ranges of 4.3 neighbouring bats, and the area of overlap covered 49% of its foraging range. For a bat with low wingloading, N. thebaica is capable of large travelling distances, suggesting that it is a strong flyer. We suggest that antbear burrows are not limiting; however, it is likely that these bats travel beyond the foraging area for more optimal roosts such as caves.

Keywords: Chiroptera; home range; Nycteris thebaica; radio-tracking; roost site
Corresponding author
Published Online: 2009-10-13
Published in Print: 2009-12-01

©2009 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Original Studies
  2. Diversity of Palaearctic chipmunks (Tamias, Sciuridae)
  3. Size variation in the Northern white-breasted hedgehog Erinaceus roumanicus: latitudinal cline and the island rule
  4. Expansion range of the golden jackal in Hungary between 1997 and 2006
  5. Distribution of the hantavirus reservoir Oligoryzomys nigripes in Argentina: choosing spatial models for the actual and potential distribution of the black-footed colilargo
  6. Molecular systematics of the Chinese Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) inferred from cytochrome-b sequences
  7. Distribution of spiny tree mouse (Platacanthomys lasiurus Blyth, 1859) in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India
  8. Mammals of Mafia Island, Tanzania
  9. Roost selection and home range of an African insectivorous bat Nycteris thebaica (Chiroptera, Nycteridae)
  10. Short Notes
  11. Comfort movements evolve into ritualized displays in the African elephant
  12. Increasing dryness and regression of the geographical range of Temminck's red colobus Procolobus badius temminckii: implications for its conservation
  13. Can bite force be used as a basis for niche separation between native peccaries and introduced feral pigs in the Brazilian Pantanal?
  14. Vocal characters and wing morphology of Rhinolophus marshalli from Tiantang Cave, Guangxi Province, China
  15. Records of crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata, in Sardinia
  16. Book Reviews
  17. Book Reviews
  18. Annual Indices
  19. Contents volume 73 (2009)
  20. Author index volume 73 (2009)
  21. Genus/species index volume 73 (2009)
  22. Subject index volume 73 (2009)
  23. Meeting announcements
  24. Meetings
https://doi.org/10.1515/MAMM.2009.056
Keywords for this article
Chiroptera; home range; Nycteris thebaica; radio-tracking; roost site

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Original Studies
  2. Diversity of Palaearctic chipmunks (Tamias, Sciuridae)
  3. Size variation in the Northern white-breasted hedgehog Erinaceus roumanicus: latitudinal cline and the island rule
  4. Expansion range of the golden jackal in Hungary between 1997 and 2006
  5. Distribution of the hantavirus reservoir Oligoryzomys nigripes in Argentina: choosing spatial models for the actual and potential distribution of the black-footed colilargo
  6. Molecular systematics of the Chinese Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) inferred from cytochrome-b sequences
  7. Distribution of spiny tree mouse (Platacanthomys lasiurus Blyth, 1859) in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India
  8. Mammals of Mafia Island, Tanzania
  9. Roost selection and home range of an African insectivorous bat Nycteris thebaica (Chiroptera, Nycteridae)
  10. Short Notes
  11. Comfort movements evolve into ritualized displays in the African elephant
  12. Increasing dryness and regression of the geographical range of Temminck's red colobus Procolobus badius temminckii: implications for its conservation
  13. Can bite force be used as a basis for niche separation between native peccaries and introduced feral pigs in the Brazilian Pantanal?
  14. Vocal characters and wing morphology of Rhinolophus marshalli from Tiantang Cave, Guangxi Province, China
  15. Records of crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata, in Sardinia
  16. Book Reviews
  17. Book Reviews
  18. Annual Indices
  19. Contents volume 73 (2009)
  20. Author index volume 73 (2009)
  21. Genus/species index volume 73 (2009)
  22. Subject index volume 73 (2009)
  23. Meeting announcements
  24. Meetings
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