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Birth synchrony and postnatal growth in Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in two successive dry (2015) and wet year (2016) in a nursing colony in Kerend cave, western Iran
Author(s) -
Eghbali Hojjat,
Sharifi Mozafar
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1111/1440-1703.12046
Subject(s) - juvenile , zoology , biology , ecology
Seasonality and synchrony of parturition and postnatal growth in Rhinolophus ferrumequinum have been studied in two consecutive years representing a typical dry (2015) and an extremely wet climatic event (2016) in Kerend cave, western Iran. In 2015, first pup was born on 20 May and by 10 days 85% of neonates were born. In the wet year, first pup was born on 26 May and by 10 days 56% of neonates were born. Synchrony of birth as defined by the clustering of births assessed by circular statistics showed that the angular variance in 2015 ( S 2 = 0.003) was significantly ( p < .05) lower than in 2016 ( S 2 = 0.006). Multiple regression and generalized estimating equation indicate that the initial ( y ‐intercepts) forearm length and body mass were not significantly ( p > .05) different between the 2 years, but the tests for parallelism shows a significant decrease in growth rates of body mass and forearm length in the wet year ( p < .05). In 2016, juvenile bats began their first foraging flights at 24–28 days of age with higher but nonsignificant ( p > .05) wing loading (7.71 ± 0.48 N/m 2 ) compared with 2015 (7.65 ± 0.57 N/m 2 ). Similarly, aspect ratio of 1‐day old neonates and juvenile bats in 2015 and 2016 did not show any significant difference ( p > .05). Results of the present study suggest that R. ferrumequinum responded to prolonged precipitations and lower temperatures by delaying parturition, reducing birth synchrony and lowering postnatal growths.