Foraging fidelity and individual specialization in a temperate bat Myotis Nattereri

Abstract

This study explores whether Natterer's bats exhibit fidelity to their foraging sites and individual specialization in their use of habitat types. The research tracked 34 individual bats in two different landscapes, with some bats tracked twice over varying time intervals. The study found that Natterer's bats show consistency in their fidelity to foraging sites across different landscapes and intervals between observations. The bats repeatedly exploited specific foraging areas, and some showed individual specialization in their habitat use. The study also found considerable variation in individual behaviour. The research suggests that a single full night of radio-tracking data can serve as a useful proxy for longer periods and contribute to more robust descriptions of resource requirements by Natterer's bats in their breeding seasons. This study emphasizes the importance of maximizing the number of individuals from which movement data is obtained to inform conservation and management of temperate bats, while ensuring that the data represent a meaningful measure of behaviour. The results also suggest that protecting a mosaic of habitats rather than a single habitat may be important for Natterer's bats, given their individual specialization in habitat use.