Date of Award
2006
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Biology
Supervisor
Dr. Brock Fenton
Abstract
Eating behaviour in animals can vary with age, sex and foraging strategy and as a function of food hardness. Such variation may contribute to observed dietary differences within and among species and could indicate variation in the optimal foraging strategies of intra- and inter-specific groups. I tested the ability of Ontario insectivorous bats to consume hard and soft mealworm-based food items. I quantified feeding behaviour based on the bats’ ability to consume and manipulate the food item, consumption time, chew frequency and total chews to consume. Based on age-specific differences in these variables, adult Myotis lucifugus were superior to subadults at eating hard food items but not when eating soft food items. A similar, but less pronounced difference existed between adult and subadult Eptesicus fuscus. There was no effect of sex when Myotis lucifugus ate either food item. The gleaner, Myotis septentrionalis, was superior to the similarly-sized aerial hawker, Myotis lucifugus, at consuming hard food items.
Recommended Citation
Fraser, Erin Elizabeth, "EATING BEHAVIOUR OF INSECTIVOROUS BATS" (2006). Digitized Theses. 5054.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/5054
