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Phenotypic plasticity in the greater mouse-eared bat in extremely different roost conditions

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Abstract

Bats use various roost types with a wide spectrum of ecological features. The greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis (Borkhausen, 1797), creates nurseries in attics and caves in Central Europe. The stable low temperature and high humidity cave microclimate contrasts that of attics, which may alter species adaptations and life strategies. We analysed population characteristics (composition, body condition, parasite load, and immune response) and genetic relatedness of two proximal M. myotis populations. Age, sexual and parasite species composition were similar between the cave and attic sites. However, a significantly higher parasite load and body condition was detected in the post-partum females and juveniles of the cave colony (n = 263 bats from the cave, 231 from the attic), with the cave colony females having a significantly stronger immune response (n = 2 caves and 2 attics, 20 females per site). There was no evidence for genetic divergence between cave and attic populations (n = 3 caves and 3 attics, 24 females per site), indicating that different population characteristics are not genetically based and that M. myotis is an example of a species with rather unique phenotypic plasticity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forest Ecology SAS, Štúrova 2, 960 53, Zvolen, Slovakia

    Marcel Uhrin & Peter Kaňuch

  2. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44, Praha, Czech Republic

    Marcel Uhrin

  3. Institute of Zoology SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Ján Krištofík

  4. Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, 960 53, Zvolen, Slovakia

    Ladislav Paule

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  1. Marcel Uhrin
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  2. Peter Kaňuch
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  3. Ján Krištofík
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  4. Ladislav Paule
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Associate editor was Karol Zub.

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Uhrin, M., Kaňuch, P., Krištofík, J. et al. Phenotypic plasticity in the greater mouse-eared bat in extremely different roost conditions. Acta Theriol 55, 153–164 (2010). https://doi.org/10.4098/j.at.0001-7051.073.2009

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4098/j.at.0001-7051.073.2009

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