Bat population recoveries give insight into clustering strategies during hibernation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Behaviour during hibernation contributes to energy conservation in winter. Hibernating bats select roosts with respect to physiological and environmental stressors, available local microclimate and species-specific requirements.

Results

We found that, in the period between 1977 and 2018, hibernating Myotis myotis and Rhinolophus hipposideros bats showed exponential population growth. The growth rates, corrected for local winter seasonal severity and winter duration, were equal to 10 and 13%, respectively. While R. hipposideros only utilised the thermally stable and, at survey time, warmer corridors in the hibernaculum, an increasing proportion of M. myotis roosted in the thermally stable corridors as their abundance increased. About 14%

SUBMITTER: Martinkova N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7465407 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature