Similar is not the same: Social calls of conspecifics are more effective in attracting wild bats to day roosts than those of other bat species

Schöner, Caroline R.; Schöner, Michael G.; Kerth, Gerald

doi:10.1007/s00265-010-1019-8

Cited by 55 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Thus, it seems very unlikely that daughters could follow their mothers to foraging sites solely by eavesdropping on their echolocation calls. In Bechstein's bats, social calls have been shown to attract conspecifics to communal roosts (Sch€ oner et al 2010). In Bechstein's bats, social calls have been shown to attract conspecifics to communal roosts (Sch€ oner et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Bechstein's Bats Share Foraging Sites with Maternal Kin but do not Forage Together with them – Results from a Long‐Term Study

2013

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In many social animals, group members exchange information about where to feed. Thereby, they may gain direct benefits, for example, if social hunting enhances individual foraging success. Alternatively, individuals may receive indirect fitness benefits by preferentially sharing information about suitable feeding sites with kin. Indeed, in some species, a positive correlation between the degree of relatedness among individuals and the overlap among their foraging areas was found. However, sharing foraging sites with kin can also have costs if it increases food competition, which is not compensated by direct benefits. The goal of this study was to investigate whether sharing of individual foraging areas in female Bechstein's bats is best explained by kin selection or by direct benefits through social foraging. To assess their individual foraging behaviour, we analysed radio‐tracking data of 22 members of one maternity colony, including nine mother–daughter pairs, seven pairs of less closely related individuals and six pairs of unrelated bats. We examined the bats' fidelity to specific foraging areas during several years and quantified the influence of kinship on the overlap among individual foraging areas. By measuring how close to each other the bats foraged, we assessed whether individuals with overlapping areas are likely to forage together. Our study confirms previous findings that Bechstein's bats show high fidelity to foraging areas across years. Moreover, we found that relatives share foraging areas significantly more often compared with unrelated colony members. Finally, our data reveal for the first time that most colony members that share foraging areas are unlikely to forage together. This suggests that female Bechstein's bats gain no direct benefits from sharing foraging areas with members of the same maternal lineage. Our findings also have implications for conservation as habitat loss within a colony's home range might expose entire matrilines to high risks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Bechstein's Bats Share Foraging Sites with Maternal Kin but do not Forage Together with them – Results from a Long‐Term Study

2013

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“…While the fast flight behaviour of T. tricolor means that tracking individuals and their associated patterns of call emission is particularly difficult, we can gain insight into the behavioural function of these calls by examining their temporal and spectral structure (Kime, Turner, & Ryan, 2000;Morrill, Thomas, Schiel, Souto, & Miller, 2013). One critical factor in understanding the communication signals of any species is the environment in which the animal lives (Bradbury & Vehrencamp, 2000;Ryan & Brenowitz, 1985). Groups of T. tricolor are usually found in clearings of secondary forests, where the surrounding vegetation is dense.…”

Section: Communication Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural strategies associated with using an ephemeral roosting resource in Spix's disc-winged bat

Montero

Gillam

2015

Animal Behaviour

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The limited availability of refuges may represent an important factor promoting the evolution of sociality, particularly in bats. Spix's disc-winged bats (Thyroptera tricolor) show highly specialized morphological adaptations that enable individuals to roost inside furled musoid leaves. This roosting ecology presents major challenges, as leaves rapidly unfurl, forcing bats to locate new roosts on a daily basis. Despite the reliance of T. tricolor on such ephemeral roosting resources, bats form stable group associations. This social stability has been attributed to the potential benefits that group members gain from searching for new roosts together versus alone. The purpose of our study was to characterize the behavioural patterns associated with assessing roosts and any accompanying communication strategies of Spix's disc-winged bat. We determined that bats regularly monitor furled leaves within their roosting range, during which they emit a number of distinct social calls. Roost assessment involved close inspection of leaf dimensions and surroundings, and was mostly performed by single individuals. Thyroptera tricolor's call repertoire during flight indicates that group contact involves a combination of acoustic signals. Our approach in a natural setting provides valuable insight into the role of shelter stability in the evolution of the T. tricolor social system.

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“…In many species, pups produce unique “isolation calls,” a form of contact calling that allows mothers to relocate offspring after periods of separation [15]. Bechstein’s bats, Myotis bechsteinii , are attracted to roosts in which the social calls of conspecifics, but not heterospecifics, are being broadcast [16]. Likewise, greater spear-nosed bats, Phyllostomus hastatus , are known to produce group-specific screech calls when exiting a roost; these calls attract group mates to the caller’s location, which presumably facilitates group foraging [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Calls Produced within and near the Roost in Two Species of Tent-Making Bats, Dermanura watsoni and Ectophylla alba

et al. 2013

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Social animals regularly face the problem of relocating conspecifics when separated. Communication is one of the most important mechanisms facilitating group formation and cohesion. Known as contact calls, signals exchanged between conspecifics that permit group maintenance are widespread across many taxa. Foliage-roosting bats are an excellent model system for studying the evolution of contact calling, as there are opportunities to compare closely related species that exhibit major differences in ecology and behavior. Further, foliage-roosting bats rely on relatively ephemeral roosts, which leads to major challenges in maintaining group cohesion. Here, we report findings on the communication signals produced by two tent-making bats, Dermanura watsoni and Ectophylla alba. We found that both species produced calls in the early morning near the roost that were associated with roostmate recruitment. Calling often ended once other bats arrived at the tent, suggesting that calls may be involved in roostmate recruitment and group formation. The structure and function of these calls are described and future research directions are discussed.

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Similar is not the same: Social calls of conspecifics are more effective in attracting wild bats to day roosts than those of other bat species

Cited by 55 publications

References 40 publications

Female Bechstein's Bats Share Foraging Sites with Maternal Kin but do not Forage Together with them – Results from a Long‐Term Study

Female Bechstein's Bats Share Foraging Sites with Maternal Kin but do not Forage Together with them – Results from a Long‐Term Study

Behavioural strategies associated with using an ephemeral roosting resource in Spix's disc-winged bat

Social Calls Produced within and near the Roost in Two Species of Tent-Making Bats, Dermanura watsoni and Ectophylla alba

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