Roosting and social ecology of the tricolored bat, Perimyotis subflavus, in Nova Scotia

Abstract

Combinations of abiotic and biotic factors influence the behavior and evolution of a species. Temperate bats are constrained by inhospitable winters, hibernation requirements and interspecific competition for resources, so adaptations must occur to enable those species to remain competitive while maximizing fitness. A small, apparently genetically isolated population of tricolored bats exists in Nova Scotia at the periphery of the species' range and resource requirements of the species were unknown. The objectives of this thesis were to: 1) characterize roost sites in terms of tree and stand level attributes and; 2) to describe the basic social structure of tricolored bats, particularly females, in Nova Scotia. These bats roosted exclusively in Usnea lichen, near water, with access to many potentially available roost sites in stands of mostly softwood trees. Females formed closed societies within distinct roosting territories, maintaining an affinity to these territories within and between years.