Roosting Requirements of Two Frugivorous Bats (Sturnira lilium and Arbiteus intermedius) in Fragmented Neotropical Forest¹

Abstract

As tropical forest fragmentation accelerates, scientists are concerned with the loss of species, particularly those that play important ecological roles. Because bats play a vital role as the primary seed dispersers in cleared areas, maintaining healthy bat populations is critical to natural forest regeneration. Observations of foraging bats suggest that many Neotropical fruit‐eating species have fairly general habitat requirements and can forage in many different kinds of disturbed vegetation; however, their roosting requirements may be quite different. To test whether or not general foraging requirements are matched by equally broad roosting requirements, we used radiotelemetry to locate roost sites of two common frugivorous bat species (Sturnira lilium and Artibeus intermedius) in a fragmented forest in southeastern Mexico. Sturnira lilium roosted inside tree cavities and selected large‐diameter roost trees in remnant patches of mature forest. Fewer than 2 percent of trees surveyed had a mean diameter equal to or greater than roost trees used by . S. lilium, Artibeus intermedius roosted externally on branches and vines and under palm leaves and selected roost trees of much smaller diameter. Compared to random trees, roost trees chosen by A. intermedius were closer to neighboring taller trees and also closer in height to these trees. Such trees likely provide cryptic roosts beneath multiple overlapping crowns, with sufficient shelter from predators and the elements. While males of A. intermedius generally roosted alone in small trees within secondary forest, females roosted in small groups in larger trees within mature forest and commuted more than three times farther than males to reach their roost sites. Loss of mature forest could impair the ability of frugivorous bats to locate suitable roost sites. This could have a negative impact on bat populations, which in turn could decrease forest regeneration in impacted areas.

The specificity of host-bat fly interaction networks across vegetation and seasonal variation

“…Frugivorous bat species associated with RF, such as Artibeus jamaicensis, A. lituratus, and Sturnira lilium, form small conspecific roosting groups (Morrison and Handley 1991;Evelyn and Stiles 2003;ter Hofstede and Fenton 2005). In contrast, the bat species more associated with UDF share roosts with other species inside culverts (i.e., Glossophaga soricina) or caves (i.e., Leptonycteris yerbabuenae and Pteronotus parnellii) (Chávez and Ceballos 2001;Stoner et al 2003).…”

Abundance responses of frugivorous bats (Stenodermatinae) to coffee cultivation and selective logging practices in mountainous central Veracruz, Mexico

“…Sturnira spp. depend on roosts in tall trees, and on the understory for food provision (Evelyn and Stiles 2003;Mello et al 2008), therefore individuals of these species may prefer forest fragments. In contrast, large frugivorous bats like A. jamaicensis and A. intermedius do not depend so heavily on big trees with holes to roost, as they can roost in palm fronds and the foliage of canopy and subcanopy trees (Ortega and Castro-Arellano 2001;Evelyn and Stiles 2003;Muñoz-Romo et al 2008).…”

“…depend on roosts in tall trees, and on the understory for food provision (Evelyn and Stiles 2003;Mello et al 2008), therefore individuals of these species may prefer forest fragments. In contrast, large frugivorous bats like A. jamaicensis and A. intermedius do not depend so heavily on big trees with holes to roost, as they can roost in palm fronds and the foliage of canopy and subcanopy trees (Ortega and Castro-Arellano 2001;Evelyn and Stiles 2003;Muñoz-Romo et al 2008). The ability of Artibeus species to use a variety of habitats, including shade coffee plantations, can be attributed to their long-distance movements and their broader diet (Ortega and Castro-Arellano 2001;Galindo-González 1998;Bernard and Fenton 2003;Gorresen and Willig 2004).…”

Seed rain generated by bats under Cerrado’s pasture remnant trees in a Neotropical savanna

“…obs. ), and also for feeding purposes (Evelyn and Stiles, 2003). Even then, under leafy canopies seed rain was more diverse, in principle, due to the coincidence with the availability of high fruiting diversity, and the attraction of a wide spectrum of bat species.…”

“…Pouteria torta seeds under the first, and Couepia grandiflora under the second pair). As mentioned above, seed species abundance under a particular tree species might mostly be related to the distance of seed source, or dispersal vectors, which select roosts according to particular traits (Evelyn and Stiles, 2003). Either small or large frugivorous bats may have similar dietary habits, although substantial differences are common (Giannini and Kalko, 2004;Silva et al, 2008).…”