Temperature selection by tropical bats roosting in caves

摘要

The temperature preferences of the mormoopid and phyllostomid bats Pteronotus quadridens and Erophylla sezekorni, from the West Indies, were determined in the laboratory and compared to field observations. Pteronotus quadridens was invariably found within the deepest and hottest parts of caves, at temperatures between 28 degreesC and 35 degreesC, while E sezekorni was found at temperatures from 25 degreesC to 28 degreesC. Temperatures selected by each species in a thermopreferendurn chamber were similar to their respective roosting temperatures in the caves. These inter-specific differences are statistically significant. Our results support the hypothesis that roost temperature and differences in temperature preferences among species, are important in explaining multispecies associations and the spatial segregation within caves.