Individual and Population-Level Variability in Diets of Pallid Bats (Antrozous pallidus)
Johnston DS and Fenton MB. 2001. Individual and Population-Level Variability in Diets of Pallid Bats (Antrozous pallidus). Journal of Mammalogy. 82(2):362-373
At two locations in California (Tocaloma and Caliente), analysis of feces presented a significantly higher number of prey types for the diets of Antrozous pallidus than analysis of culled parts of prey. Analysis of diet by culled parts was biased toward larger, harder prey, and some softer, smaller prey were missed altogether. Observation of individuals feeding revealed that some bats ate prey without culling any parts, whereas others culled only the hardest and largest parts. Analysis of feces from tagged adult male pallid bats from Tocaloma (1993-1994) and Caliente (1994-1995) suggested that bats were generalists, but diets of individuals at Caliente reflected the average diet for the group, none of the individuals at Tocaloma ate the average diet. Variation in the diets of A. pallidus reflects prey availability and individual foraging behavior. Tocaloma bats did not significantly change their diets throughout the summer; Caliente bats did. Bats from Caliente and Tocaloma ate different prey than arthropods caught in pit traps, suggesting that bats in both populations were selective foragers. In captivity, hunting A. pallidus took flying and non-flying prey. Some flying prey were forced against a surface before capture, adding a novel dimension to the range of behavior involved in "gleaning."
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Johnston, Dave; Fenton, M.
- Units
- DEVA
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Antrozous pallidus (Pallid Bat), Caliente Mine Death Valley National Park CA NV, California, Chiroptera (Bats), Culled parts, Feces, Generalists, Mammalia (Mammals), Presence (Biodiversity), Specialists, Taxa Links To References, Vespertilionidae (Vespertillionid Bats)