Effect of sex and reproductive status on the immunity of the temperate bat .

Studies of immunity in bat species are rare. However, it is important to determine immunological variations to identify factors influencing the health status of these endangered mammals from an evolutionary, ecological, conservation, and public health point of view. Immunity is highly variable and can be influenced by both internal (e.

Similar but not the same: metal concentrations in hair of three ecologically similar, forest-dwelling bat species (Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis nattereri, and Plecotus auritus).

Recently, a number of studies demonstrated the suitability of hair analysis to assess metal exposure of bats. As many bat species are endangered, such a non-destructive method is particularly suited for this taxon. The present study analyzed the levels of two non-essential (cadmium and lead) and four essential metals (copper, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc) in hairs of three ecologically similar, sympatric bat species, Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii), Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri), and Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) from an area in Central Hesse (Germany), as well as metal concentrations in soil samples from the bats' foraging habitats.

Reduction of metal exposure of Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) following remediation of pond sediment as evidenced by metal concentrations in hair.

Transfer of contaminants from freshwater sediments via aquatic insects to terrestrial predators is well documented in spiders and birds. Here, we analyzed the metal exposure of Myotis daubentonii using an urban pond as their preferred foraging area before and after a remediation measure (sediment dredging) at this pond. Six metal elements (Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni) were measured in the sediment of the pond, in EDTA extracts of the sediment and in hair samples of M.

Shedding of Infectious Borna Disease Virus-1 in Living Bicolored White-Toothed Shrews.

Background: Many RNA viruses arise from animal reservoirs, namely bats, rodents and insectivores but mechanisms of virus maintenance and transmission still need to be addressed. The bicolored white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon) has recently been identified as reservoir of the neurotropic Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1).

Principal Findings: Six out of eleven wild living bicoloured white-toothed shrews were trapped and revealed to be naturally infected with BoDV-1.

Trace metal concentrations in hairs of three bat species from an urbanized area in Germany.

Metal-contaminated soils and sediments are widespread in urbanized areas due to atmospheric deposition close to emission sources. These metals are bio-available for organisms, e.g.

Silvicolous on a small scale: possibilities and limitations of habitat suitability models for small, elusive mammals in conservation management and landscape planning.

Species distribution and endangerment can be assessed by habitat-suitability modelling. This study addresses methodical aspects of habitat suitability modelling and includes an application example in actual species conservation and landscape planning. Models using species presence-absence data are preferable to presence-only models.

No short-term effect of handling and capture stress on immune responses of bats assessed by bacterial killing assay.

Ecoimmunology of wild animals becomes increasingly important. However, there are methodical limitations, especially when working on small mammals, e.g.

Stage of pregnancy dictates heterothermy in temperate forest-dwelling bats.

Bats face high energetic requirements, as powered flight is costly and they have a disadvantageous surface-to-volume-ratio. To deal with those requirements energy saving mechanisms, such as heterothermy (torpor), have evolved. Torpor during pregnancy, however, reduces rates of foetal development and consequently prolongs pregnancy.

Landscape features and reservoir occurrence affecting the risk for equine infection with Borna disease virus.

Borna disease (BD) is a severe endemic and fatal disorder caused by the neurotropic Borna disease virus (BDV) which mainly occurs in horses and sheep. Borna disease virus belongs to the order Mononegavirales, which includes many reservoir-bound viruses with high zoonotic and pathogenic properties including the filoviruses and lyssaviruses. Clinically manifest BD occurs in endemic areas of Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria.

Insectivorous bats digest chitin in the stomach using acidic mammalian chitinase.

The gastrointestinal tract of animals is adapted to their primary source of food to optimize resource use and energy intake. Temperate bat species mainly feed on arthropods. These contain the energy-rich carbohydrate chitin, which is indigestible for the endogenous enzymes of a typical mammalian gastrointestinal tract.

Balancing the energy budget in free-ranging male Myotis daubentonii bats.

Mammals use five main, mutually nonexclusive mechanisms to balance energy budgets: torpor, metabolic compensation, change in activity patterns, change in ingested energy, and/or variability in digestive efficiency. Bats, as small and actively flying mammals, have a high mass-specific energy demand; therefore, balancing mechanisms should be pronounced in this group. We found that male Myotis daubentonii exhibited marked variation in the relative importance of these different mechanisms during their period of seasonal activity in response to extrinsic (ambient temperature, insect abundance) and intrinsic (reproduction, body condition) factors.

The effects of reproductive state on digestive efficiency in three sympatric bat species of the same guild.

The functional link between food as an energy source and metabolizable energy is the digestive tract. The digestive organs may change in size, structure, or retention time in response to energetic demands of the animal. Very efficient digestive tracts may be better at processing food but require higher energetic investments for maintenance even when post-absorptive.