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Context-specific variation and repeatability in behavioral traits of bent-wing bats
Yu-Jen Kuo1, Ya-Fu Lee2, Yen-Min Kuo1
1Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan.
Zoological Letters
|April 7, 2023
Summary
Bent-wing bats exhibit consistent individual behaviors across different contexts and locomotion modes. Flight-based tests better capture bat personality and behavioral variation than ground-based tests.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Behavioral ecology
- Animal personality
Background:
- Individual differences in animal behavior can be consistent over time and contexts, forming behavioral syndromes.
- Cross-contextual variation in behavior, especially across different locomotion modes, is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess behavioral variation and repeatability in bent-wing bats (Miniopterus fuliginosus).
- To investigate the influence of locomotion mode (quadrupedal vs. flight) on behavioral traits.
- To explore cross-contextual correlations of behavioral traits.
Main Methods:
- Wild-caught bent-wing bats were tested in hole-board (HB) and tunnel box (TB) tests (quadrupedal) and flight-tent (FT) tests (flight).
- Behavioral traits including boldness, activity, and exploration were measured.
- Repeatability and correlations of behaviors across contexts were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Bats showed greater behavioral variation in FT tests compared to HB and TB tests.
- Behaviors in TB and FT tests demonstrated higher repeatability than in HB tests.
- Repeatable behaviors formed distinct traits (boldness, activity, exploration) correlated across contexts, with stronger correlations between HB/TB than with FT.
Conclusions:
- Consistent among-individual behavioral differences exist in wild bent-wing bats across time and contexts.
- Behavioral repeatability and cross-context correlations highlight context-dependent variation.
- Flight-enabling test devices (e.g., flight tents) may be more suitable for assessing bat behavior and personality, especially for species with limited quadrupedal movement.
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