Seasonal range variation of Tadarida australis (Chiroptera:Molossidae) in Western Australia: the impact of enthalpy

Abstract

The Australian bat Tadarida australis has a peculiar geographical niche that involves a continental-scale movement of over 10° of latitude in Western Australia. Its range expands northward by up to 1200 km for the winter and contracts southward for the summer. Its summer range limit correlates with an interaction of temperature and humidity, best summarised by atmospheric enthalpy. Its winter distribution is expanded northward within the enthalpy threshold, but appears to be further restricted in some areas by an unknown factor that may be biotic. We propose a potential competitor and a potential predator that may have strongly negative interactions in these regions. The 1% of records that are beyond the enthalpy envelope are from the change-over months and may be an artefact of year-to-year climatic variation. Three climatic thresholds enclose the enthalpy envelope: average annual rainfall >10 mm per month and <50 mm per month, and average overnight minimum temperature <20°C. Current literature relates migration of temperate-zone bats to resource availability as a consequence of changing season. We identify a tight correlation with atmospheric enthalpy that points to dissipation of flight muscle heat as a limiting factor.