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Population structure of Daubenton's bats is responding to microclimate of anthropogenic roosts

Publication at Faculty of Science |
2011

Abstract

We compared temperature parameters of two anthropogenic day roosts of Daubenton's bats with a different structure of the population inhabiting them. The roost occupied by a male-dominated colony was colder and more fluctuant than the maternity roost with a female-dominated population.

However, using of the two roosts changed during the season in response to changing energetic demands of the two sexes. While males were almost absent in the warmer maternity roost during pregnancy and lactation, they appeared in this roost during the post-lactation when mating starts.

In contrast, females did not use the colder (male) roost until the time of weaning of juveniles, i.e., the time when their thermoregulatory needs change and they may benefit from using colder roost. Our study provides the evidence that the same roost may be used by individuals of different sex and reproductive state in different periods of the year.