Assessing roost disturbance of straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) through tri-axial acceleration.

ABSTRACT: The disturbance of wildlife by humans is a worldwide phenomenon that contributes to the loss of biodiversity. It can impact animals' behaviour and physiology, and this can lead to changes in species distribution and richness. Wildlife disturbance has mostly been assessed through direct observation. However, advances in bio-logging provide a new range of sensors that may allow measuring disturbance of animals with high precision and remotely, and reducing the effects of human observers. We used tri-axial accelerometers to identify daytime flights of roosting straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum), which were used as a proxy for roost disturbance. This bat species roosts on trees in large numbers (often reaching hundreds of thousands of animals), making them highly vulnerable to disturba

SUBMITTER: Costa TD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7682868 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature