BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 June 2014 Coastal Cliffs on Islands as Foraging Habitat for Bats
Leonardo Ancillotto, Jens Rydell, Valentina Nardone, Danilo Russo
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Small islands usually show simplified ecosystems with limited availability of suitable foraging habitats for bats, thus habitat selection on islands may differ compared to the mainland. Habitats that are marginal on the mainland may be important on islands. The island of Capri consists, to a large extent, of steep limestone cliffs and Mediterranean shrubland, with virtually no forests or other habitats preferred by bats on the mainland. In this study we tested the hypothesis that in resource-limited systems, such as islands, habitats generally deemed of minor value for bat foraging, such as cliffs, may become important. We conducted an acoustic survey of bats in Capri (SW Italy), comparing their use of Mediterranean shrubland and limestone cliffs. We found that cliffs provided the preferred foraging habitat in four of the five species tested. Noticeably, even the barbastelle bat Barbastella barbastellus, normally considered a forest specialist, selected coastal cliffs as foraging habitat. Our observations indicate that the paucity of foraging habitats on islands may strongly alter the habitat use by bats. This has important implications for conservation of bats in insular environments.

© Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS
Leonardo Ancillotto, Jens Rydell, Valentina Nardone, and Danilo Russo "Coastal Cliffs on Islands as Foraging Habitat for Bats," Acta Chiropterologica 16(1), 103-108, (1 June 2014). https://doi.org/10.3161/150811014X683318
Published: 1 June 2014
KEYWORDS
Barbastella barbastellus
bat conservation
habitat selection
island ecology
Mediterranean
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top