Seasonal diet of Asellia tridens (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in North-Western Africa

Abstract

The seasonal variations of the diet of the desert Trident leaf-nosed bat, Asellia tridens, were investigated using dropping analyses during the whole year 2015 in the Timimoun region, southwestern Algerian Sahara. We identified one order of arachnids (Araneae) and ten orders of insects:

Comparative echolocation and foraging ecology of horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae) and Old World leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideridae)

“…However, spider predation was noted for seven of the 12 hipposiderid species (Fig. 3): H. diadema (Pavey and Burwell 1997), H. khasiana (Thabah et al 2006), H. speoris (Pavey et al 2001a(Pavey et al , 2001b, H. cervinus (Pavey and Burwell 2000), H. caffer (Bowie et al 1999), H. ater (Milne et al 2016) and Asellia tridens (Loumassine et al 2019). One species of Hipposideros also captured birds (Pavey and Burwell 1997).…”

“…The author declares no conflicts of interest. Arlettaz et al (2000), Beck et al (1989), Bontadina et al (2008), Bowie et al (1999), Eckrich and Neuweiler (1988), Goiti et al (2004), Jacobs (2000, Jacobs et al (2007), Jones (1990), Li et al (2007), Lino et al (2014), Loumassine et al (2019), Ma et al (2008), McAney and Fairley (1989), Milne et al (2016), Mitschunas and Wagner (2015), Pavey (1999), Pavey and Burwell (1997), Pavey and Burwell (2000), Pavey and Burwell (2004), Pavey et al (2001a;2001b), Rakotoarivelo et al (2009), Salsamendi et al (2008Salsamendi et al ( , 2012, Shi et al (2009), Thabah et al (2006, Vestjens and Hall (1977), Weterings et al (2015), Whitaker and Black (1976), Williams et al (2011).…”