High activity enables life on a high-sugar diet: blood glucose regulation in nectar-feeding bats

Kelm, Detlev H.; Simon, Ralph; Kuhlow, Doreen; Voigt, Christian C.; Ristow, Michael

doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.0465

Cited by 45 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…hummingbirds, sunbirds (Kelm et al . )) and likely provides much needed dietary supplements. Kelm et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The consumption of insects by nectarivorous vertebrates is well known (e.g. hummingbirds, sunbirds (Kelm et al 2011)) and likely provides much needed dietary supplements. Kelm et al (2008) indicated the importance of supplementing nectar diet to replace missing protein and fibre.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…) and may have specific adaptations such as the ability to accommodate hyperglycaemia (Kelm et al . ). Nevertheless, nectar is a relatively poor source of nutrition, and nectarivores must supplement their diet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Moreover, its well-developed incisors and ectoloph molars (Howell 1974) are retained from insectivorous ancestors (Santana, Strait & Dumont 2011) and may increase the range of food it can consume. Glossophagine bats have been described as having one of the most specialized diets of all mammals (Kelm et al 2008) and may have specific adaptations such as the ability to accommodate hyperglycaemia (Kelm et al 2011). Nevertheless, nectar is a relatively poor source of nutrition, and nectarivores must supplement their diet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trophic niche flexibility in Glossophaga soricina: how a nectar seeker sneaks an insect snack

et al. 2013

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2W1 Summary 1.Omnivory enables animals to fill more than one trophic niche, providing access to a wider variety of food resources with potentially higher nutrient value, particularly when resources become scarce. Animals can achieve omnivory using different strategies, for example opportunistic foraging, or switching between multiple trophic niches. 2. The Neotropical bat Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1766) is a common and widespread species known for nectar feeding, but it also eats fruit and insects. Approaching stationary objects (flowers and fruits) or moving objects (insects) poses different sensory tasks and should require different echolocation behaviours. Here we tested the contrasting hypothesis that G. soricina can approach both stationary and moving objects using the same echolocation behaviour, thus feeding at different trophic levels by a single sensory mechanism. 3. Using DNA barcoding, we demonstrate that G. soricina eats beetles (Coleoptera), flies (Diptera) and noctuid moths with bat-detecting ears. Laboratory observations show that G. soricina actively hunts for prey so insect consumption does not appear to be opportunistic. After capture, individuals consumed prey while perched and manipulated them with jaw, thumb, wrist and wing movements, but food handling was longer and chewing rate slower than in obligate insectivores. 4. In contrast to most insectivorous bats, the echolocation calls of G. soricina are of high frequency and low intensity, and G. soricina did not produce feeding buzzes when approaching insects. An acoustic model of detection distances shows that its low-intensity calls fail to trigger the auditory neurons of eared moths, allowing G. soricina to overcome auditory prey defences. 5. Individuals achieved niche flexibility using a unique but generalist behavioural approach rather than employing two different specialist methods. Our findings provide a novel insight into the functional mechanisms of insect capture in G. soricina and highlight the importance of considering niche flexibility in classifying trophic links in ecological communities.

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“…hummingbirds, sunbirds (Kelm et al . )) and likely provides much needed dietary supplements. Kelm et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Trophic niche flexibility in Glossophaga soricina: how a nectar seeker sneaks an insect snack

et al. 2013

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“…Failure to find nectar or fruits may ultimately force them to land until sufficient glycogen has been synthesized to power the next takeoff. Thus, nectar-and fruiteating bats seem to be on a constant rush for their sugary diet (Kelm et al 2011). For most other bats, insects are the main food source and these are mostly rich in proteins.…”

Section: Motion Capacity Morphology and Aerodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Principles and Patterns of Bat Movements: From Aerodynamics to Ecology

Voigt

Frick²,

Holderied³

et al. 2017

The Quarterly Review of Biology

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Movement ecology as an integrative discipline has advanced associated fields because it presents not only a conceptual framework for understanding movement principles but also helps formulate predictions about the consequences of movements for animals and their environments. Here, we synthesize recent studies on principles and patterns of bat movements in context of the movement ecology paradigm. The motion capacity of bats is defined by their highly articulated, flexible wings. Power production during flight follows a U-shaped curve in relation to speed in bats yet, in contrast to birds, bats use mostly exogenous nutrients for sustained flight. The navigation capacity of most bats is dominated by the echolocation system, yet other sensory modalities, including an iron-based magnetic sense, may contribute to navigation depending on a bat’s familiarity with the terrain. Patterns derived from these capacities relate to antagonistic and mutualistic interactions with food items. The navigation capacity of bats may influence their sociality, in particular, the extent of group foraging based on eavesdropping on conspecifics’ echolocation calls. We infer that understanding the movement ecology of bats within the framework of the movement ecology paradigm provides new insights into ecological processes mediated by bats, from ecosystem services to diseases.

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Flight is the key to postprandial blood glucose balance in the fruit batsEonycteris spelaeaandCynopterus sphinx

Peng¹,

He²,

Liu³

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Excessive sugar consumption could lead to high blood glucose levels that are harmful to mammalian health and life. Despite consuming large amounts of sugar‐rich food, fruit bats have a longer lifespan, raising the question of how these bats overcome potential hyperglycemia. We investigated the change of blood glucose level in nectar‐feeding bats (Eonycteris spelaea) and fruit‐eating bats (Cynopterus sphinx) via adjusting their sugar intake and time of flight. We found that the maximum blood glucose level of C. sphinx was higher than 24 mmol/L that is considered to be pathological in other mammals. After C. sphinx bats spent approximately 75% of their time to fly, their blood glucose levels dropped markedly, and the blood glucose of E. spelaea fell to the fast levels after they spent 70% time of fly. Thus, the level of blood glucose elevated with the quantity of sugar intake but declined with the time of flight. Our results indicate that high‐intensive flight is a key regulator for blood glucose homeostasis during foraging. High‐intensive flight may confer benefits to the fruit bats in foraging success and behavioral interactions and increases the efficiency of pollen and seed disposal mediated by bats.

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High activity enables life on a high-sugar diet: blood glucose regulation in nectar-feeding bats

Cited by 45 publications

References 51 publications

Trophic niche flexibility in Glossophaga soricina: how a nectar seeker sneaks an insect snack

Trophic niche flexibility in Glossophaga soricina: how a nectar seeker sneaks an insect snack

Principles and Patterns of Bat Movements: From Aerodynamics to Ecology

Flight is the key to postprandial blood glucose balance in the fruit batsEonycteris spelaeaandCynopterus sphinx

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