Timing of breeding, productivity and survival of long-tailed bats Chalinolobus tuberculatus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in cold-temperate rainforest in New Zealand

Fuente: Zenodo
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. Verfasser: O'Donnell, Colin F. J.
Format: Recurso digital
Veröffentlicht: Zenodo 2002
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866902113902133248
author O'Donnell, Colin F. J.
author_facet O'Donnell, Colin F. J.
contents (Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Breeding of the threatened long-tailed bat Chalinolobus tuberculatus was studied over seven summers, 1993±2000, in temperate rainforest, Fiordland, New Zealand. Reproductive history of 789 marked bats from three social groups was investigated. Seventy per cent of births occurred over a 10-day period in midDecember. Young began ¯ying at 5±6 weeks and nipples of reproductive females were regressing 2 weeks later. Sex ratio at birth was equal. Lactation coincided with highest annual air temperatures and peak abundance of ¯ying invertebrates. Date of ®rst birth varied by 4 days annually, but date of ®rst ¯ight varied by 17 days. Males had distended cauda epididymides at 1 year old (mean ‹ se = 1.63 ‹ 0.16 years) and epididymal distension peaked in early autumn. Females ®rst gave birth at 2±3 years of age (2.33 ‹ 0.08 years). The short, highly synchronous breeding season, birth of single young, early mating in autumn, and late age of female sexual maturity compared to similar-sized vespertilionids, may be related to low food availability and unpredictable cold-temperate weather conditions. Annual productivity did not differ among groups but probability of survival of juveniles varied from 0.26 to 0.88 and was inversely proportional to size of natal group. Variability in breeding parameters was unrelated to climate or body condition of bats. The group with highest survival rates contained reproductive females and juveniles with signi®cantly higher body condition. Differences in roost site or food quality within the home range of each group, varying genetic quality of members of the groups, or density-dependent mechanisms, may explain differential survival, but these hypotheses require investigation. A population crash and poor productivity in 1996 coincided with an irruption in the numbers of stoats Mustela erminea implying that predation by introduced animals can cause periodic population crashes. These results should be used to examine implications of these hypotheses on the long-term viability of Chalinolobus populations.
format Recurso digital
id zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_13441600
institution Zenodo
language
publishDate 2002
publisher Zenodo
record_format zenodo
spellingShingle Timing of breeding, productivity and survival of long-tailed bats Chalinolobus tuberculatus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in cold-temperate rainforest in New Zealand
O'Donnell, Colin F. J.
Biodiversity
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Chordata
Animalia
bats
bat
(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Breeding of the threatened long-tailed bat Chalinolobus tuberculatus was studied over seven summers, 1993±2000, in temperate rainforest, Fiordland, New Zealand. Reproductive history of 789 marked bats from three social groups was investigated. Seventy per cent of births occurred over a 10-day period in midDecember. Young began ¯ying at 5±6 weeks and nipples of reproductive females were regressing 2 weeks later. Sex ratio at birth was equal. Lactation coincided with highest annual air temperatures and peak abundance of ¯ying invertebrates. Date of ®rst birth varied by 4 days annually, but date of ®rst ¯ight varied by 17 days. Males had distended cauda epididymides at 1 year old (mean ‹ se = 1.63 ‹ 0.16 years) and epididymal distension peaked in early autumn. Females ®rst gave birth at 2±3 years of age (2.33 ‹ 0.08 years). The short, highly synchronous breeding season, birth of single young, early mating in autumn, and late age of female sexual maturity compared to similar-sized vespertilionids, may be related to low food availability and unpredictable cold-temperate weather conditions. Annual productivity did not differ among groups but probability of survival of juveniles varied from 0.26 to 0.88 and was inversely proportional to size of natal group. Variability in breeding parameters was unrelated to climate or body condition of bats. The group with highest survival rates contained reproductive females and juveniles with signi®cantly higher body condition. Differences in roost site or food quality within the home range of each group, varying genetic quality of members of the groups, or density-dependent mechanisms, may explain differential survival, but these hypotheses require investigation. A population crash and poor productivity in 1996 coincided with an irruption in the numbers of stoats Mustela erminea implying that predation by introduced animals can cause periodic population crashes. These results should be used to examine implications of these hypotheses on the long-term viability of Chalinolobus populations.
title Timing of breeding, productivity and survival of long-tailed bats Chalinolobus tuberculatus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in cold-temperate rainforest in New Zealand
topic Biodiversity
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Chordata
Animalia
bats
bat
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13441600