The comparative ecophysiology of water balance in microchiropteran bats

• Main Author: Webb, Peter I
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University PressOxford 1995
• Subjects: Pipistrellus pipistrellus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198549451.003.0013; https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/52526972/isbn-9780198549451-book-part-13.pdf

Abstract Aspects of water balance were studied in the three species of bat commonly found in north-east Scotland: Plecotus auritus, Myotis daubentonii and Pipistrellus pipistrellus. One of these species (M. daubentonii) has a close association with open water in the wild, while one (P. pipistrellus) has a much lower mean body mass (c. 6 g) than the other two (c. 10 g). Faecal water content and maximum urine-concentrating ability were not significantly different between P. auritus and M. daubentonii. However, urine loss was higher (by c. 140 µI/day) and resting evaporative water loss lower (also by c. 140 µI/day) in M. daubentonii than in P. auritus. In free-flying captive colonies of bats, total water intake was highest in M. daubentonii, intermediate in P. auritus and lowest in P. pipistrellus. It seems possible that M. daubentonii demonstrate high water flux outside the day roost and compensate through a low water flux within the day roost. A low rate of water intake in captive P. pipistrellus may simply be a function of small body size.