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Vocalizations, Feeding And Flight Behaviour Of Nectar-Feeding Bats (Glossophaga Soricina And Leptonycteris Yerbabuenae), Meghan A. Murphy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

When nectar-feeding bats converge on a food source, they may use vocal signals to minimize the risk of interference by others and maximize feeding efficiency. I conducted playback experiments with captive Pallas’ long-tongued bats (Glossophaga soricina) and wild lesser long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) to investigate the implications of vocalizations on feeding behaviour and assess behavioural responses. I hypothesized that echolocation calls and social calls are used as air traffic signals around a central food source. I found evidence that L. yerbabuenae primarily use echolocation calls as signals to maintain an efficient group feeding system, and detect their conspecifics …