Big family, warm home, and lots of friends: Pteronotus large colonies affect species richness and occupation inside caves

Abstract

AbstractRoosts are essential for the survival of most animals. Due to homothermic requirements, mammals are particularly dependent on roost quality and availability. Bats select their roosts in a species‐specific way, likely related to species´ different physiological and adaptive needs. Unlike species whose individuals roost solitarily, roost selection is critical for bats forming large colonies due to the requirements for maintaining thousands of individuals in a single shelter. This is the case of Pteronotus (Mormoopidae), whose colonies reach hundreds of thousands of bats. Using captures, bioacoustics, and automated censuses, we evaluated how cave size, ceiling characteristics, environmental stability, temperature, and humidity influence the formation of exceptionally large colonies, species richness and composition in caves in north‐eastern Brazil. We expected that colonies would be positively related to cave size and stability, internal cave selection would be species‐specific, but larger and more environmentally stable caves would have higher richness. Pteronotus colonies were positively related to cave size, stability, and ceiling characteristics, and their presence strongly influenced cave temperature variation. Species richness was positively correlated to a cave stability index. Species other than Pteronotus preferred different climatic and ceiling characteristics. We detected an indirect influence of the large colonies of Pteronotus on the species richness and occupation inside caves. On the other hand, such caves favor species coexistence, as they offer a range of microenvironments, reducing niche overlap in their interior. Pteronotus gymnonotus and Pteronotus personatus are both key‐ and umbrella‐species for cave ecosystems, stressing the need for specific conservation strategies in Brazil.Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.