Research & Projects

Questions

How does land alteration, agriculture, and anthropogenic disturbance impact bat symbionts? 

How could treatment of P. destructans impact bat symbionts?

What does the microbiome of bats look like across an urbanization gradient?

As urban areas expand, it is essential to distinguish what drives unique species to select for urban habitat.  The gray bat, Myotis grisescens, is an endangered species that has increased in abundance following heightened conservation efforts of summer and winter use caves. The species has, anecdotally, become more common in highly disturbed areas despite previously recorded narrow habitat requirements. I tested individuals for behavioral differences using a standard Y-maze test at spring, summer, and fall colonies. Age and sex of the individual was added as an interaction to the model. 

Results

In a preliminary analysis, I considered species-level differences in behavior. I found that the classic synurbic species, Eptesicus fuscus, was more tolerant to light stimuli and explored more of the Y-maze. However, M. grisescens was more tolerant to sound. I also considered if M. grisescens behavior was markedly different between urban and rural colonies. Juveniles in non-urban sites were more exploratory than non-urban juveniles, and males were bolder than females. Although there was not a distinct difference between urban and non-urban M. grisescens behavior, M. grisescens were consistently more tolerant to sound than light. 

We sequenced mitochondrial DNA to compare haplotypes and genetic variation of seven red squirrels from Isle Royale to 42 other individuals sampled across North America. We detected 25 haplotypes in total, and four haplotypes within Isle Royale. Sequences obtained from red squirrels inhabiting Isle Royale were not unique and were shared with individuals from across the Great Lakes Region and north-eastern North America.

Results

Isle Royale squirrels are not genetically distinct from other mainland populations across temperate North America