Landing manoeuvres predict roost-site preferences in bats

Abstract

Roosts are vital for the survival of many species, and how individuals choose one site over another is affected by various factors. In bats, for example, species may use stiff roosts such as caves or compliant ones such as leaves; each type requires not only specific morphological adaptations but also different landing manoeuvres. Selecting a suitable roost within those broad categories may increase landing performance, reducing accidents and decreasing exposure time to predators. We addressed whether bats select specific roost sites based on the availability of a suitable landing surface, which could increase landing performance. Our study focused on Spix’s disc-winged bats (Thyroptera tricolor), a species known to roost within developing tubular leaves. As previous studies show that this species relies on the leaves’ apex for safe landing and rapid post-landing settlement, we predicted that bats would prefer to roost in tubular structures with a longer apex and that landing would be consistently more effective on those leaves. Field observations showed that T. tricolor predominantly used two species for roosting, Heliconia imbricata and Calathea lutea, but they preferred roosting in the former. The main difference between these two plant species was the length of the leaf’s apex (longer in H. imbricata). Experiments in a flight cage also showed that bats used more consistent approach and landing tactics when accessing leaves with a longer apex. Our results suggest that landing mechanics may strongly influence resource selection, especially when complex manoeuvres are needed to acquire those resources.