No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Bats were collected in Belize, Central America during the summers of 1972, 73, 75, and 76. A variety of collecting techniques were utilized but most success was obtained with mist nets and capturing by hand at roostsites. The majority of the bats were collected between 15 June and 12 July on Glenwood Farm located on the Sibun River, Belize District, Belize (17017' N, 88°33' W)A total of 108 bats including 13 species representing 5 families was collected on Glenwood Farm. In the family Emballonuridae three species, R'gvnchonycteris naso,,Saccouteryx,bilineata, and Balantio-oteryx io, were collected. The six species belonging to the family Phyllostomatidae Glossophaga,soriciria, Carollia brevicauda,, Carollia, perspicillata,, Sturnira lilium, Artibeus phaeotis, Artibeus lituratus.. Desmodus rotundus was the only member of the family Desmodontidae collected. In the family Vesroertilionidae two species, Myotis,keaysi and Eptesi.cus,furinalis,, were collected. Only one species of the family Nolossidae, Molossus,molcasus, was collected.Eighteen bats of five species were collected in mist nets. All but one of these species, D. rotundus, were frugivorous. An additional 90 bats of 7 species were collected at various roostsites, two caves, a fig tree, and the farmhouse. All but one of these bat species were insectivorous. The exception was G. soricina, a frugivorous species, which was the only species represented in both the mist net and the roostsite samples. Collected specimens had a sex ratio of 68 males to 40 females or 1 male:0.6 female. Classified by age they represented 83 adults (55 males, 28 females) and 25 juveniles (13 males, 12 females).Body and skull measurements were taken from the adults. Ectoparasites were removed and identified. The reproductive morphology and histology were described for all specimens. The reproductive condition of species was discussed. In addition, published data on Neotropi-cal bat reproduction were compiled and correlated to determine annual patterns for the various species and families.The influence of phylogenetic relationships, food habits, climate, and vegetation were considered in the discussion of the reproductive patterns exhibited by the various species collected. The reproductive patterns identified in this study were monestrous and seasonal polyestrous.Adult specimens of all species collected between 15 June and 12 July showed signs of reproductive activity. The monestrous pattern, having one estrus per year, was found in the insectivorous S. bilineata and M. molossus. A seasonal polyestrous pattern, having more than one estrus per year with a definite anestrus period, was found in the insectivorous B. io and the frugivorous G. soricina and C. brevicauda.of each species was discussed. In additon to the G. soricina collected on Glenwood Farm, 10 adult females were collected in a small cave near Augustine, Cayo District. Three of these females were lactating but none were pregnant. Of eight specimens examined, five had multiovular follicles in one or both ovaries. Biovular, triovular, and tetraovular follicles were present. One binucleated oocyte was present indicating that the probable source of the multiovular follicles was due to an abnormal mitotic division of the oocyte.A complete maternal colony of M. malossus individuals was captured in the attic of the farmhouse on Glenwood Farm. The colony consisted of an adult male, 10 lactating females, 1 subadult male, 4 juvenile males, and 5 juvenile females. A colony of adult males was discovered in one corner of the farmhouse only a short distance away from the maternal colony.New records of bat species for the country of Belize include: B. io, Peropteryx,kanpleri (family Mormoopidae), and R. tumida,(family Vespertilionidae). A single P. kappleri,female was taken from a small cave near Augustine, Cayo District. A R. tumida female was collected in an insect sweepnet at Blancaneaux Dodge, Cayo District, and two pregnant females were collected at Mile 30, Western Highway, Belize District. The latter were taken from a hollow tree stump. These R. tumida specimens represent the first records of this species from the mainland of Belize.

No description available.

In Britain, the brown long-eared bat, <I>Plecotus auritus</I>, commonly uses the roof spaces of houses as summer roost sites. This study aimed to investigate the roost requirements of this species, particularly in relation to its foraging activity, the composition of colonies, the occupancy of roosts, and whether the selection of particular roost sites affected the fitness of the bats using them. Fifty-six roosts used by <I>P.auritus</I> were located within the study area, in north-east Scotland. By comparing the houses occupied by <I>P.auritus</I> to a random sample of buildings from the same area it was shown that this species preferentially roosted in buildings which were older, higher, and had more roof compartments which were fully lined with wood. In addition, the buildings used as roosts were closer to trees and water and had a large area of woodland within 0.5km. The mean temperature within roosts was 17.9°C, and they were significantly warmer than the random sample of buildings, which had a mean temperature of 16.7°C. When captured, bats were generally euthermic and warmer roost temperatures may have reduced the dependence on torpor. Radio tracking showed that bats foraged mainly in deciduous woodland in the vicinity of the roost, using a series of feeding sites to which they frequently returned, and which were occasionally shared with conspecifics. Females spent most of their foraging time within 0.5km of the roost, while males travelled further. Bats returned to the main roost on 77% of mornings, but also used alternative roost sites, which had cooler microclimates, following nights of low temperature. Colonies were evident in summer roosts between May and October, and the typical size of group seen within the roof was 15-20 bats.

Nursery colonies were formed by Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Plecotus auritus and Myotis daubentoni in mid May, and young were born, reared and weaned in these colonies. The time of dusk emergence of P. pipistrellus from the roost was controlled by light intensity, and although its rate depended on colony size, bats frequently emerged in bursts. Nightly activity patterns of P. pipistrellus were affected by the reproductive state of bats, and showed peaks at dusk and before dawn during lactation but only a dusk peak at other times. Nightly insect abundance showed dusk and dawn peaks throughout the summer. P. pipistrellus fed opportunistically on the insects most abundant, mainly Nematocera and Trichoptera. Although they selected Ephemeroptera and Neuroptera whenever they were available, these insects formed a small proportion of their diet overall. No differences were found between the diets of male and female pipistrelles, nor between those of females in different reproductive states. P. pipistrellus hunted in riparian habitats up to 5.1 km distant from their roosts, and moved on a regular "trap-lining" route between feeding sites. They travelled between sites in groups, and foraged on beats which were seldom defended. The recorded rate of attempted feeding was proportional to insect density until a maximum rate was reached, and intraspecific aggression was evident only at low insect densities. Juvenile bats learned to fly, navigate and forage within a period of three weeks. Colonies of P. auritus and M. daubentoni sharing a roost partitioned their resources by leaving the roost to forage at different times and by hunting for different insects in different habitats. Gestation length in P. pipistrellus varied over two years when weather, conditions, and hence food supply, differed. The rate of fetal development appeared to depend on maternal body temperature, which was maintained at a high level throughout pregnancy if the food supply was adequate. Female P. pipistrellus, P. auritus and M. daubentoni suckled only their own infants, which they recognized mainly by acoustic and, to a lesser extent, olfactory cues.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Mar. 10, 2008). Directed by Matina C. Kalcounis-Rüppell; submitted to the Dept. of Biology. Includes bibliographical references (p. 24-29).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2009. / With: Description of a new species od Murina from Vietnam (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae : Murininae) Gábor Csobra ... et al. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional papers: 2007, 268. With: A new species of Kerivoula (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Southeast Asia /Paul J. Bates ... et al. Acta Chiropterologica. 2007: 9(2) 323-337. Includes bibliographical references.

LH gonadotropes are successfully identified in the anterior pituitary of Minioptems schreibersii and Rhinolophus capensis, using immunogold labelling at the light and electron microscopy level. The gonadotropes are oval to polygonal in shape and possess numerous small secretory granules, which contain LH throughout the year. Their distribution is similar in both species, although the abundance varies slightly between species and sexes. Seasonal changes are detected in gonadotrope ultrastructure, pituitary LH levels, and plasma hormone levels, and activity pattern of LH gonadotropes generally coincide with reproductive activity in both bat species. In female M. schreibersii gonadotrope activity, pituitary LH, and plasma LH levels coincide with development, implantation and gestation. During the delayed implantation gonadotropes are inactive and and high follicular period of plasma LH levels are low, coinciding with corpus luteum inactivity and low plasma progesterone levels. Implantation coincides with increased activity of the gonadotrope activity, increased plasma LH levels, reactivation of the corpus luteum and elevated plasma progesterone levels. Activation of LH gonadotropes towards the end of hibernation may be initiated by the winter solstice, which marks the change to increasing daylength. In female R capensis gonadotrope activity and high pituitary and plasma LH levels occur towards the end of follicular development. During hibernation gonadotrope activity and plasma LH levels decrease. Ovulation coincides with increasing gonadotrope activity (which follows the winter solstice), although a preovulatory peak in plasma LH is not detected. In male M. schreibersii and R. capensis, gonadotrope activity and high plasma LH and testosterone levels coincide with spermatogenesis, except during a period of reproductive inactivity in spring in male M. schreibersii, where gonadotropes appear active and plasma LH and testosterone levels are high. The reason for this apparent activity is not known. Male sperm storage during hibernation in male R. capensis coincides with low gonadotrope activity and low plasma LH and testosterone levels. Factors initiating gonadotrope activity and hence spermatogenesis are probably decreasing daylength (summer solstice) in M. schreibersii and increasing ambient temperatures and food abundance (following the hibernation period) in R.capensis.