Living with voracious roommates: Factors that explain isotopic niche variation in a mixed colony of insectivorous bats.

ABSTRACT: Theory predicts that in resource-limited environments, coexisting species may overlap their niche dimensions but must differ in at least one to avoid competitive exclusion. Specifically, it has been suggested that the coexistence of competing species within a guild, could be sustained with mechanisms of resource partitioning, such as segregation along a trophic dimension. Among the most gregarious mammals are bats, which present diversification in their diet based on habitat choice and body size. Despite differences that could explain specialization in prey selection, there are insufficient studies that explore food overlap in mixed bat colonies and the factors that determine the selection of prey, both at intra- and inter-specific levels. To fill this gap, we analyzed the isotope signal (

SUBMITTER: Pena-Villalobos I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10945080 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature