Landing manoeuvres predict roost-site preferences in bats.

Autor:	Chaverri G; Sede del Sur, Universidad de Costa Rica, Golfito, 60701, Costa Rica.; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá., Araya-Salas M; Sede del Sur, Universidad de Costa Rica, Golfito, 60701, Costa Rica., Barrantes JP; Programa de Posgrado en Computación e Informática, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, 11501, Costa Rica., Uribe-Etxebarria T; Arrigorriaga BHI, Kristo Zeharkalea 15, E48480 Arrigorriaga, Bizkaia, The Basque Country, Spain., Peña-Acuña M; Bellavista, Calle Julio Romero de Torres 7, CP 21122 Bellavista, Spain., Varela AL; Calle Campos, Río Segundo, Alajuela, 20109, Costa Rica., Aihartza J; University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Sarriena z.g., Leioa E48940, The Basque Country, Spain.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	The Journal of experimental biology [J Exp Biol] 2022 Nov 01; Vol. 225 (21). Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Nov 11.
DOI:	10.1242/jeb.244267
Abstrakt:	Roosts are vital for the survival of many species, and how individuals choose one site over another is affected by various factors. In bats, for example, species may use stiff roosts such as caves or compliant ones such as leaves; each type requires not only specific morphological adaptations but also different landing manoeuvres. Selecting a suitable roost within those broad categories may increase landing performance, reducing accidents and decreasing exposure time to predators. We addressed whether bats select specific roost sites based on the availability of a suitable landing surface, which could increase landing performance. Our study focused on Spix's disc-winged bats (Thyroptera tricolor), a species known to roost within developing tubular leaves. As previous studies show that this species relies on the leaves' apex for safe landing and rapid post-landing settlement, we predicted that bats would prefer to roost in tubular structures with a longer apex and that landing would be consistently more effective on those leaves. Field observations showed that T. tricolor predominantly used two species for roosting, Heliconia imbricata and Calathea lutea, but they preferred roosting in the former. The main difference between these two plant species was the length of the leaf's apex (longer in H. imbricata). Experiments in a flight cage also showed that bats used more consistent approach and landing tactics when accessing leaves with a longer apex. Our results suggest that landing mechanics may strongly influence resource selection, especially when complex manoeuvres are needed to acquire those resources. Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests. (© 2022. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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