A POSSIBLE CASE OF LEK DEMES IN SOME TROGLOPHILIC BATS AND INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONS IN BAT COLONIES FROM SOME ROMANIAN CAVES ?
| Autor: | DUMITRU MURARIU, VICTOR GHEORGHIU |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Travaux de l'Institut de Speologie Emile Racovitza, Vol 57, Iss 1, Pp 71-79 (2019) |
| ISSN: | 2067-9033 0301-9187 |
| Popis: | Five bat species from the Romanian fauna shelterand hibernate in caves: Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat – Rhinolophus euryale Blasius, 1853; Mehely’s horseshoe bat – Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie, 1901; the common bent-wing bat/Schreibers’ long-fingered bat/Schreibers’ bat – Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl, 1917); the long-fingered bat – Myotis capaccinii (Bonaparte 1837) and the pond bat – Myotis dasycneme (Boie, 1825).The latter species is probably on the way to become troglophilic. Rhinolophus euryale presents the highest degree of stress to the the anthropic disturbances and with preferences for warmer (11–12°C) and higher RH (95–99%) in shelters is. Its colonies can be up to 1000 individuals, usually hanging by caves’ walls and ceilings. The Cloşani Cave (Mehedinţi Co.) contains the Ghica and the Laboratory galleries. In the first gallery, one of us (V. Gheorghiu) found a colony of R. euryale with approx. 1800 individuals. A part of the individuals were fixed on the extremity of a stalactite. Later, both of us observed for years this phenomena and we regarded it as a possible lek process – a sexual behavior, possibly a kind of survival strategy – to mentain genetically heterogeneity for an endangered bat species population. These family groups or demes on the tip of stalactites are mainly in October – November, when bats still have occasionally foraging flights, before retreating for hibernation. Analysing a sample of one deme, there were 96 individuals of R. euryale – 39 males and 57 females. Visiting other caves (Topolniţa – Mehedinţi Co.; Avenul lui Adam – Caraş-Severin Co. – a tropical cave in temperate region, with 31°C–45°C) we found small colonies of R. euryale, but without clear lek phenomena. Exploring other caves (Peştera cu Apă de la Moară and Peştera Câmpenească) – Moneasa locality – Bihor Co., some amateur speleologists reported bat demes on the tip of different stalactites. Some cases of simbiotic and altruism realationships between different bat species we recorded in Fuşteica Cave (Vâlcan Mountain – Gorj Co.), M. capaccinii and M. dasycneme – use to hiden under Rhinolophus ferumequinum’s wings to be protected against predators and to use the host’s body warm. In Lazului Cave (Gorj Co.) a specimen of M. dasycneme was also protected under R. ferrumequinum’s wings. In Izverna Cave (Mehedinţi Co.) a specimen of Miniopterus schreibersii dissimulated between three close together individuals of M. myotis. Some examples of caves are referring to those with mixed colonies of bats in nursery colonies. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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