Presentation Details
| Social calls influence free-flying big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) behavior Katherine Armenta, Gerald Wilkinson. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA |
Abstract
The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) produces a range of vocalizations, which include social calls: distinct vocalizations used to communicate with conspecifics. In this study, we aimed to investigate the vocal and behavioral responses of wild free-flying E. fuscus to three social calls (frequency modulated bouts [FMB], chevron shaped [CS], and quasi constant frequency [QCF]). We presented free-flying E. fuscus with ultrasonic playbacks of these social calls at six Maryland sites during 43 nights of 2023. We predicted that FMB calls would repel bats, while CS and QCF calls would attract bats towards our playback stimulus. Bat activity during and outside of playbacks was compared using ultrasonic audio and thermal video recordings. We found that E. fuscus avoided study areas on nights with QCF playbacks more than other social call playbacks. In contrast, instances of E. fuscus presence increased during FMB broadcasts. Thermal videos revealed flight behaviors not captured in audio recordings, such as fewer bat passes by the speaker on nights with CS playbacks. These findings suggest each call type elicits a distinct response in E. fuscus, ranging from clear avoidance to attraction.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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