Investigation of the social system and population dynamics of Murina ussuriensis using acoustic lure

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440236
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: HILL David 京都大学, 野生動物研究センター, 教授 (90594250)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: Social system / Forest bat / Fission-fusion society / Vocal communication / Sex-biased dispersal / Playback experiment / Murina ussuriensis / Roosting behaviour

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bats show are highly social animals, but little is known about most species because of their elusive nature. We investigated the social system of the Ussuri tube-nosed bat (Murina ussuriensis) in Yakushima and Hokkaido. Using DNA analysis to study the fine-grained population genetics we showed that social groups consist of kin-related females. Males showed more evidence of dispersal, but most seemed to stay quite close to their natal areas. Aspects of vocal communication were also investigated. Social calls were produced most frequently around the times that females left their roosts, and when they found new roosts before dawn. In playback experiments call rate was enhanced, showing that bats respond actively to the calls of others. Bats of this species switch to a new roost almost every day and vocal communication is probably used to coordinate roost-finding. Comparative data was collected on vocal communication of forest bats in Australia that seem to have similar a social system.

Free Research Field

Social Ecology