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Learning to Hunt on the Go: Dietary Changes During Development of Rhinolophid Bats
Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Sarriena z/g, 48940 Leioa, Basque Country, Spain
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Animals 2024, 14(22), 3303; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14223303
Submission received: 14 October 2024
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Revised: 8 November 2024
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Accepted: 12 November 2024
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Published: 16 November 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Ontogeny, Plasticity and Ecology)
Simple Summary
The diet of mammals changes as they grow. This study explores how the diets of three horseshoe bat species change as they grow from juveniles to adults. By analysing the DNA in their droppings, we compared the diets of juveniles and adults at two levels: the types of prey that they eat and the characteristics of their prey (size, hardness, and flying speed). We found differences between the two age groups in two out of the three species. A common pattern emerged, where younger bats tend to eat smaller, easier-to-hunt prey, suggesting that hunting skills and other factors like learning may develop differently across species. These findings have implications for conservation efforts of these bat species, particularly in recognising the distinct dietary needs of juveniles for their survival and successful development.
Abstract
Mammals may experience physical changes from birth, and their diet varies at different stages of life. This study investigates the impact of development on the diet composition of three horseshoe bats: Rhinolophus euryale, R. hipposideros, and R. ferrumequinum in the Basque Country, north of the Iberian Peninsula. The diets of juvenile and adult individuals of each species were obtained by analysing their droppings using metabarcoding and then compared at (1) the taxonomic and (2) prey trait levels (size, flying speed, hardness). The diets of juvenile and adult individuals of R. euryale and R. hipposideros showed significant differences at the taxonomic level and regarding prey traits. In contrast, in the case of R. ferrumequinum, we could only observe discernible diet patterns through the trait analysis. Additionally, we discovered a shared pattern: younger individuals tend to feed on easier-to-hunt and/or handle smaller and smoother prey. The varying degrees of dissimilarity between juvenile and adult diets observed in this study suggest that the relative importance of psychomotor development, foraging strategies, prey discrimination, and/or spatial learning may differ among species. These findings contribute to conservation efforts, especially by recognising the dietary needs of juveniles for their survival and successful development.
Keywords:
development; diet; horseshoe bats; metabarcoding; traits; trophic niche partitioning
