Gary G. Kwiecinski

Sublethal pathology in bats associated with stress and volcanic activity on Montserrat, West Indies

Abstract The small Caribbean island of Montserrat has been battered by several hurricanes, and beginning in 1995, pyroclastic eruptions from the Soufriere Hills Volcano have destroyed the southern portion of the island. In addition to being incinerated by pyroclastic flows (300+°C), the bats of Montserrat also have had to contend with acid rain and the deposition of volcanic ash on leaves, fruits, and flowers and its subsequent ingestion by the bats. We document a dramatic decrease in the bat population and increases in several sublethal pathologies associated with the accumulation of ash across the island coincident with the onset of volcanic activity. Before 1995, less than 1% of the fruit bats exhibited evidence of unusual tooth wear. Since 1995, fruit bats have exhibited abnormal tooth wear advanced by the ingestion of volcanic ash while feeding and grooming. Damage to the teeth often includes ablation of the entire enamel crown and the exposure of the pulp cavity. Idiopathic hair loss was practically nonexistent before 1997 but alopecia has been frequently recorded since that time in adult frugivorous bats that live within the most damaged habitats on the island. This baldness is most likely related to physiological stress, high ectoparasite loads, or possible mineral deficiencies associated with the ingestion of ash. Furthermore, we have found evidence for respiratory pathologies in Artibeus jamaicensis resulting from the inhalation of volcanic dust and ash.

MILK CONCENTRATION AND POSTNATAL ACCRETION OF MINERALS AND NITROGEN IN TWO PHYLLOSTOMID BATS

Abstract Many female bats give birth to a single large young that is weaned at about 90–95% adult size and about 70–80% adult postpartum mass. The need for young to become independent fliers as quickly as possible presumably drives this burdensome development. We considered whether minerals or nitrogen in milk could limit reproductive and developmental capacity in bats. Milk samples were collected during the course of lactation from captive Artibeus jamaicensis and Phyllostomus discolor with known-aged young. Milk mineral (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and iron) and nitrogen concentrations did not significantly change during the course of lactation, except for sodium, which decreased in A. jamaicensis. When compared with other bats, concentrations of minerals and nitrogen in milk were weakly associated with phylogeny. We calculated daily accretion rates and total amounts of minerals and nitrogen in the body of young bats for each day of development. We also present calculations of the mass of milk required each day to meet accretion of minerals and nitrogen throughout the course of postnatal growth. From these analyses, we found that, except for calcium, minerals and nitrogen in milk were present in concentrations that exceeded the needs of developing young.

First record of Ardops nichollsi from Antigua, Lesser Antilles

No abstract available

Peripheral Endocrines in Bat Reproduction

Publisher Summary Most bat species exhibit only one or two reproductive cycles per year, typically producing a single young. This chapter reviews the current knowledge about some of the non-reproductive endocrine factors in bats and assesses their possible interactions in modulating reproductive timing. The chapter pays particular attention to the role of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in asynchronous reproductive cycles. Many endocrine factors that are classically considered non-reproductive or peripheral to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis have been implicated in the control of reproductive processes. These include hormones of the thyroid, adrenal and pancreas, as well as specific extracellular binding proteins for these hormones and for the sex steroids. In certain vespertilionid and rhinolophid bats, males undergo spermatogenesis in one season and mate in another, storing their sperm in the reproductive tract. Strategies such as these enable bats to separate the different components of their reproductive cycle, timing energetically expensive parts with maximum food availability. Such asynchronous (disassociative) reproduction depends on monitoring environmental changes and selectively initiating appropriate reproductive responses. The linking of internal conditions for optimal reproductive effort with environmental changes likely involves the central nervous system and a variety of reproductive and peripheral endocrine regulatory factors.

Bat Facial and Lip Projections: Unique Integumentary Morphology

We examined the morphology of chin and lip facial projections of seven species of Phyllostomid and Noctilionid bats utilizing scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy of immunohistochemical and stained paraffin-embedded sections. Results showed that lip and chin facial projections were composed of glabrous skin except for some chin projections of Noctilio leporinus that were composed of haired skin. All projections contained a rich and diffuse concentration of nerves that were associated with dermal papillae and epidermal rete pegs that contained Merkel cell–neurite units and a diffuse network of epidermal free nerve endings. The existence of physically extended anatomical structures that contain a variety of receptor sensory units and their associated modalities must be important to be present throughout this diverse group of bats. These facial projections include a unique neural arrangement, but their specific functions remain unknown.