Foraging Movement Patterns of Lactating Mexican Long-Nosed Bats in Central Mexico

The Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) is a nectar-feeding bat distributed seasonally between Mexico and the United States, and it has been declared an endangered species in both countries. Here, we describe for the first time the movement patterns and locations of foraging areas used by lactating females from the only known maternity roost in central Mexico. GPS loggers were placed on 29 lactating females, adhered to the interscapular area with short-term surgical glue. We obtained movement tracks of at least one night for 21 different individuals. Movement patterns were identified using the first passage time segmentation method and classified into commutative and foraging flights. Bats made up to three trips on the same night, visiting between one and three foraging areas. On average, the total distance traveled was 61.72 km per night (minimum 23.11 km, maximum 160.55 km), and 37 foraging areas were identified, located between 13 and 40 km north of the roost, mainly in desert shrublands, followed by agricultural areas and temperate forests. In these places, they spent most of their time outside the roost (2.16 h mean ± 1.14 h SD), feeding on the resources available in an average area of 0.38 km². Bats traveled long distances each night, using areas with abundant wild and human-cultivated floral resources, reflecting the importance of integrating movement ecology for the design of conservation and habitat management strategies that ensure the availability of necessary resources for this species.