LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Seasonal occupancy of abandoned mines by cave-dwelling bats in the western Blue Mountains, New South Wales

Photo by jwimmerli from unsplash

Abstract. Cave-dwelling microbats are known to occupy abandoned mines, which can be important habitat for threatened species. Surveys and monitoring between 2012 and 2014 in Mugii Murum-ban State Conservation Area… Click to show full abstract

Abstract. Cave-dwelling microbats are known to occupy abandoned mines, which can be important habitat for threatened species. Surveys and monitoring between 2012 and 2014 in Mugii Murum-ban State Conservation Area identified use of three adits from historic mine workings by three species: Chalinolobus dwyeri, Miniopterus orianae oceanensis and Rhinolophus megaphyllus. One of the adits is a potential small maternity roost for the threatened M. o. oceanensis, as indicated by captures of pregnant females in December 2014, as well as increased emergence counts and call activity in spring compared with autumn. While there were some signs of reproducing R. megaphyllus at the adits (a single pregnant female in late October, and postlactating females and juveniles in February) the complete absence of females during December trapping indicated otherwise. Use of the three adits was typical for roost and access preferences of the species, with only R. megaphyllus occupying a doored adit and all species recorded at a large unobstructed adit, and a shallow adit likely only used as a night roost by all species.

Keywords: dwelling bats; abandoned mines; seasonal occupancy; cave dwelling; mines cave; occupancy abandoned

Journal Title: Australian Journal of Zoology
Year Published: 2020

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.