TY - JOUR
T1 - Molossid bats in an African agro-ecosystem select sugarcane fields as foraging habitat
AU - Noer, Christina Lehmkuhl
AU - Dabelsteen, Torben
AU - Bohmann, Kristine
AU - Monadjem, Ara
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - Two coexisting species of African molossids, the little free-tailed bat, Chaerephon pumilus, and the Angolan free-tailed bat, Mops condylurus, were studied in the lowveld of Swaziland. Nine C. pumilus and five M. condylurus, all non-lactating females, were radio-tracked in order to investigate their habitat utilization. The results confirmed that both of these species selected to forage over sugarcane fields instead of over the other habitats available in the area: savanna, riparian forest and urban areas. Foraging ranges were relatively large with C. pumilus travelling on average a maximum of 4.2 km from the roost and M. condylurus covering 4.8 km. The mean activity areas ranged from 976 ha (minimum convex polygon) to 1319 ha (95% kernel) for C. pumilus and from 1190 ha (MCP) to 1437 ha (95% kernel) for M. condylurus. Interspecific differences in the mean activity area or maximum distance travelled were not found. The results of this study suggest that these species have a potential role as pest-controlling agents over sugarcane fields.
AB - Two coexisting species of African molossids, the little free-tailed bat, Chaerephon pumilus, and the Angolan free-tailed bat, Mops condylurus, were studied in the lowveld of Swaziland. Nine C. pumilus and five M. condylurus, all non-lactating females, were radio-tracked in order to investigate their habitat utilization. The results confirmed that both of these species selected to forage over sugarcane fields instead of over the other habitats available in the area: savanna, riparian forest and urban areas. Foraging ranges were relatively large with C. pumilus travelling on average a maximum of 4.2 km from the roost and M. condylurus covering 4.8 km. The mean activity areas ranged from 976 ha (minimum convex polygon) to 1319 ha (95% kernel) for C. pumilus and from 1190 ha (MCP) to 1437 ha (95% kernel) for M. condylurus. Interspecific differences in the mean activity area or maximum distance travelled were not found. The results of this study suggest that these species have a potential role as pest-controlling agents over sugarcane fields.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84864253052&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3377/004.047.0120
DO - 10.3377/004.047.0120
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84864253052
SN - 1562-7020
VL - 47
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - African Zoology
JF - African Zoology
IS - 1
ER -