Seasonal phenology of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) at 60° N ...

• Main Authors: Reimer, Jesika P., Barclay, Robert M. R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2024
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Chordata; Animalia; bats; bat; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13433486; https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.13433486

(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) To investigate the impact of short summers and long summer solar periods at high latitudes on the behavior of a nocturnal, hibernating mammal, we recorded the phenology of Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) at 60 N in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. In particular, we assessed the timing of spring emergence from, and autumn entry into, hibernation, reproduction, and seasonal mass fluctuations. We used a combination of acoustic monitoring and capture surveys at two hibernacula and two maternity roosts during 2011 and 2012. Myotis spp. were active at the hibernacula from late April to late September/early October, suggesting that the "active" season length is similar to that of populations farther south. At maternity colonies, we detected M. lucifugus activity from early May to early October, with peaks during mid-July in both years. Lactation, fledging, and weaning all occurred later in the NWT than at more southern locations, and reproductive ...