Delayed development in the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata

Abstract

Pregnancy was studied in short-tailed fruit bats, Carollia perspicillata, both maintained in a captive breeding colony and collected from a reproductively synchronized wild population on the island of Trinidad. Gestation periods for captive females that successfully reared their young varied as follows: mated at a regular oestrus during their first year in captivity (105-178 days) (mean +/- SD: 145 +/- 19 days); mated at a postpartum oestrus during their first year in captivity (110-158 days) (133 +/- 16 days); mated during their second year in captivity (113-169 days) (127 +/- 12 days); females born and mated in captivity (113-159 days) (119 +/- 9 days). Most females in the last group had gestation periods of 113-119 days; this may represent the normal (nondelayed) gestation period for the species. Histological studies established that most of the observed variation in duration of gestation was due to delays occurring after the completion of implantation. It seems likely that stress, rather than age, was responsible for the prolongation of pregnancy in some animals, because this occurred less frequently in both younger and older females. There may be stressful situations in the wild (for example, lack of sufficient food or roosting sites) in which the ability to delay pregnancies would be of considerable adaptive value. Evidence was obtained that under some circumstances Carollia can extend gestation even further. Many wildcaught females successfully gave birth at 160-229 days after being isolated from breeding males in captivity. These had been captured at the time of year when, based upon subsequent histological studies of field collected specimens, most adult females should have been in early pregnancy. The field studies have also provided evidence that females in the wild population exhibit a seasonal prolongation of pregnancy.

Birth synchrony in greater spear‐nosed bats (Phyllostomus hastatus)

“…The rate of embryonic development can change depending upon temperature and maternal nutrition in temperate-zone bats (Racey & Swift, 1981;Bernard, 1994;Racey & Entwistle, 2000). In the tropics as well as in temperate and subtropical zones, some bats demonstrate an obligate post-implantation delay in embryonic growth, including at least four phyllostomid bats: the short-tailed fruit bat, the Jamaican fruit bat Artibeus jamaicensis, the Mexican big-eared bat Macrotus waterhousii and the California leaf-nosed bat M. californicus (Jerrett, 1979;Racey, 1982;Rasweiler & Badwaik, 1997;Racey & Entwistle, 2000). James (1977) killed adult female greater spear-nosed bats at various reproductive stages, both pre-and postconception, and did not ®nd evidence of sperm storage or any delay in implantation or gestation.…”

Experimental transmission of the parasitic flagellates Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli between triatomine bugs or mice and captive neotropical bats

“…This has included numerous visits to diurnal roosts to catch the following species for the establishment and restocking of captive breeding colonies, reproductive studies, or to harvest embryos for developmental studies: C. perspicillata (Rasweiler & de Bonilla 1972, Rasweiler & Badwaik 1996, 1997; G. soricina (Rasweiler & de Bonilla 1972, Rasweiler 1973, 1975; D. rotundus (Quintero & Rasweiler 1974). Observations were made on some of the diurnal roosting habits of A. lituratus in areas where this species was collected for the same purpose by mist-netting (Rasweiler & Ishiyama 1973).…”

Mammalian diversity: gametes, embryos and reproduction

“…Now consider gestation in other eutherian mammals. Carollia, the short-tailed fruit bat, weighs somewhat less than the laboratory mouse (approximately 19 v. 20-25 g) and gives birth to a singleton after a gestation of 113-120 days (Rasweiler and Badwaik 1997). Blastocyst formation occurs at Stage 3 at 10-12 days of gestation and anterior neural tube closure occurs at Stage 11 sometime before 40 days of gestation (De Bonilla and Rasweiler 1974;Cretekos et al 2005).…”