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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 57(2)

So long as it’s near water: variable roosting behaviour of the large-footed myotis (Myotis macropus)

Susan Campbell
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Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia. Present address: Vertebrate Pest Research Section, Department of Agriculture and Food, 100 Bougainvillea Ave, Forestfield, WA 6058, Australia. Email: s.campbell@zoology.unimelb.edu.au

Australian Journal of Zoology 57(2) 89-98 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO09006
Submitted: 30 January 2009  Accepted: 18 May 2009   Published: 10 July 2009

Abstract

The choice of day roosts by microbats influences energetics, social interactions and breeding success. In Australia, the large-footed myotis (Myotis macropus) is dependent on waterways for foraging. However, the extent to which the species relies upon, and selects roosts within, riparian habitat is unknown. I studied the roosting behaviour of this species around a water reservoir near Melbourne, Victoria, during the summers from October 2002 to April 2005. I radio-tracked 31 bats to 17 tree roosts; colony size averaged 6.0 ± 1.6 bats and individuals used 1.3 ± 0.1 roosts during the tracking period (average 6.2 ± 0.6 days). Two roosts were also located in crevices in an old aqueduct tunnel, housing colonies of 10.8 ± 0.6 bats. Colonies emerged earlier from tunnel crevices (25.0 ± 3.6 min after sunset, range 6–53 min), compared with conspecifics in tree roosts (45.6 ± 2.1 min after sunset, range 10–83 min). Roost trees and cavities differed from available habitat trees and cavities in terms of smaller entrance areas to used (182.2 ± 49.3 cm2) versus unused (328.0 ± 61.8 cm2) cavities. The primary force driving roost selection by M. macropus appears to be proximity of suitable waterways for foraging. Retention and maintenance of extensive riparian habitat, as well as the preservation of other structures used for roosting, are the most important conservation strategies for management of the day-roosting habitat of M. macropus.


Acknowledgements

I thank Melbourne Water Board staff from the Yan Yean depot for assistance and allowing access to the reservoir out of hours. Many thanks go to all the field assistants, particularly Sarah Kimpton, Alison Meller and Lisa Evans. Thank you to Graeme Coulson and Lindy Lumsden for project guidance and for providing feedback on earlier drafts of this manuscript. This project was made possible by funding from The Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, Australian Geographic, the River Basin Management Society, the Norman Wettenhall Foundation and National Parks and Wildlife – South Australia. I was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award stipend and research was carried out under The University of Melbourne Faculty of Science Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee # 02008.


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