The activity time of the lesser bamboo bat, Tylonycteris pachypus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Abstract

The activity time of the lesser bamboo bat, Tylonycteris pachypus (Temminck, 1840), was investigated at two observation locations in southern China: Longzhou and Guiping. Two bouts of activity (post dusk and predawn), with an intervening period of night roosting at diurnal roosts, were identified. The period of activity within each bout was usually less than 30 minutes. The activity periods of individuals belonging to the Longzhou population right after dusk and just before dawn lasted longer than those of the the Guiping population. We also found that the nocturnal emergence time of T. pachypus from the Longzhou population happened earlier than in the Guiping population. These findings indicate that the activity time of T. pachypus was quite short at night, and that different locations may affect the nocturnal activity rhythm of this species.