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Foraging Movements of a Frugivorous Bat, Carollia perspicillata (Phyllostomatidae)
Author(s) -
Heithaus E. Raymond,
Fleming Theodore H.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
ecological monographs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.254
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1557-7015
pISSN - 0012-9615
DOI - 10.2307/2937296
Subject(s) - foraging , frugivore , biology , ecology , predation , home range , zoology , habitat
The foraging movements of a Neotropical frugivorous bat (Carollia perspicillata)were studied to better understand its impact on the plants it disperses and the factors influencing its foraging behavior. Radio telemetry was used during 2 wet seasons to monitor the bats' movements in a Costa Rican seasonal tropical forest. We monitored 24 individuals for periods of up to 19 nights. This sample size permitted a statistical analysis of the influence of bats' weight, bat's sex, moonlight, and the distribution of resources on foraging patterns. Carollia perspicillata is a refuging species: individuals dispersed from shared day roots to feed at night, then returned after foraging. At night there were 3 major activity periods, but there was some activity all night. When foraging, each individual went to 2 to 6 feeding areas that were used consistently through the observation period. Each night it flew back and forth between areas. Searching for new feeding areas was uncommon. Average flight distances for individuals were 1.6 kilometres between the day roost and feeding areas, 1.5 km among feeding areas, and 1.6 km to gather fruits within feeding areas. The density at feeding areas decreased with distance from the day roost, as predicted by refuging theory. There was little overlap among different individuals' feeding areas, but the largest amount of overlap was adjacent to 1 day roost. Bats from the 2 major day roosts shared feeding a areas only at locations midway between the roosts. Flight patterns were influenced by bats' weights, the patchiness of resources, and the amount of moonlight. From these and other observations, we infer that both predation and energetic considerations affect C. perspicillata foraging. In addition, this species appears to respond to long—term factors as well as night—to—night conditions so that dynamic models will be necessary to describe its foraging.