How does the spatial and social dynamics of the Natterer's bat Myotis nattereri affect disease transmission and conservation?

Abstract

Natterer’s bats (Myotis nattereri) are typical of many Bat species in that they participate in a variety of distinct seasonal communities and behaviours. In summer adult females are thought to be largely philopatric to their natal community/landscape where they rear their young and form largely matrilineal communities. Bat foraging behaviour and social participation is largely unquantified, as is our understanding of how age/maturity and sex may mediate their social behaviour. Crucially, the rate of female dispersal between communities is completely unquantified. A much better understanding of bat spatial and social dynamics is necessary to inform statutory functions, effective conservation and epidemiological modelling. We have mapped and quantified the spatial and social dynamics of three communities of Natterer’s bats. Uniquely our roost switching data comes from a community roosting entirely in natural roosts. Radio-tracking, ringing and DNA evidence can be combined at one site, whilst ringing and DNA can be combined at two others. In addition, DNA samples from a further two sites could be included to complete the comparison of 183 Natterer’s bats from 5 sites. Microsatellite data (based on 15 markers) was used to describe relatedness at two functional scales (between roosts within a community and between communities). Relatedness and population structure was also compared to home range analysis and roost use to determine if related individuals forage close to each other or share a roosts more frequently than unrelated individuals. Novel descriptions of demographic and epidemiological rates for this species were determined, which has been incorporated into predictive models of how both the community may respond to changes in the environment, or diseases may spread within the community which will help improve bat Conservation.