Species Diversity in Malaysian Bats

Mark McGinleyHonors College and Department of

Biological SciencesTexas Tech University

15 927.70 km (9897 miles)

Distance between US and Malaysia

Krau Wildlife Reserve

Krau Wildlife Reserve

Rainforest Bats

• Mostly insectivorous

• Roost in caves, under branches, in tree cavities

Dr. Kingston and Her Crew

Malaysian Bat Education Adventure

http://www.ttu-mbea.org/

Genus Hipposideros

H. bicolor

H. cervinus

H. diadema

Genus Kerivoula

K. intermedia

K. papilosa

K. pellucida

Genus Rhinolophus

R. lepidus R. stheno

R. trifoliatus

Other Friends

Balionycteris maculata

Murina suilla

Phoniscus atrox

Catching Bats- Harp Traps

“Processing” Bats

Trapping Grid

Question: Does Bat Species Diversity Differ From February to March?

• Study Design

– Capture bats over four nights in February (February 7 – 10) and over four nights in March (March 9 – 13)

– 12 traps per night

– Sample soon after dusk and again in the morning

– Determine species, sex, age, measure forearm length, mass

Sample Data

• Band R Date Trap Species Sex Age FA(mm) Wt(g)

• MBCRU5733 16-Feb-09 KL0141 Rhinolophus lepidus F A 41.9 5.75

• MBCRU5738 R 16-Feb-09 KL0141 Murina suilla M A 30.4

• MBCRU5732 16-Feb-09 KL0137 Kerivoula intermedia M A 28.2 3.00

• MBCRUC1936 16-Feb-09 KL0141 Rhinolophus stheno F A 45.0 9.00

February DataSpecies- # individuals caught

• Balionycteris maculata- 6• Coelops robinsoni- 1• Hipposideros bicolor 131

kHz- 1• Hipposideros bicolor 142

kHz- 1• Hipposideros cervinus- 24• Hipposideros diadema- 3• Hipposideros ridleyi- 2• Kerivoula intermedia- 20• Kerivoula papillosa- 8

• Kerivoula pellucida- 10• Murina cyclotis- 1• Murina suilla- 4• Phoniscus atrox- 4• Rhinolophus lepidus- 8• Rhinolophus sedulous- 1• Rhinolophus stheno- 9• Rhinolophus trifoliatus- 5

March DataSpecies- # caught

• Hipposideros bicolor 131 kHz- 1• Hipposideros cervinus- 3• Hipposideros diadema- 1• Kerivoula intermedia- 3• Kerivoula papillosa- 4• Kerivoula pellucida- 1• Murina suilla- 1• Phoniscus atrox- 1• Phoniscus jagorii- 1• Rhinolophus lepidus- 5• Rhinolophus stheno- 3• Rhinolophus trifoliatus- 3

How Can We Visualize These Data?Species Abundance Curves

• X axis- order the species from most abundant to least abundant

• Y axis- the abundance of each species

Species Abundance Curves

How Does Bat Species Diversity Vary Between Months?