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1 June 2007 Timing of Birth and Estimation of Age of Juvenile Myotis septentrionalis and Myotis lucifugus in West-Central Indiana
Aaron R. Krochmal, Dale W. Sparks
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Abstract

Patterns of growth and development provide information critical for documenting population demographics. Herein we document the reproductive biology for and provide equations that accurately predict the ages of 2 widely sympatric species of bats from central Indiana—the northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) and the little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus). Young of M. septentrionalis were born synchronously (within a 6-day period) and within a narrow size range (mean length of forearm = 12.78 mm, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = ± 0.52 mm; mass = 1.91 g, 95% CI = ± 0.11 g). Young of M. lucifugus were born during a 42-day period and within a narrow size range (mean length of forearm = 14.26 mm, 95% CI = ± 0.23 mm; mean body mass = 2.19 g, 95% CI = ± 0.08 g). Young of M. septentrionalis were born significantly smaller (t = 4.52, d.f. = 137, P < 0.001) and lighter (t = 2.57, d.f. = 137, P < 0.05) than were young of M. lucifugus. We developed species-specific equations that made it possible to estimate the age of both species of bat to within 1 day. These results indicate that similar-sized and closely related bats grow at comparable rates and provide the 1st detailed information about reproductive biology of M. septentrionalis.

Aaron R. Krochmal and Dale W. Sparks "Timing of Birth and Estimation of Age of Juvenile Myotis septentrionalis and Myotis lucifugus in West-Central Indiana," Journal of Mammalogy 88(3), 649-656, (1 June 2007). https://doi.org/10.1644/06-MAMM-A-140R.1
Accepted: 1 October 2006; Published: 1 June 2007
KEYWORDS
bats
demographics
growth models
Myotis lucifugus
Myotis septentrionalis
reproduction
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