Low Rates of PIT-Tag Loss in an Insectivorous Bat Species

Abstract

The rate of loss of tags used to mark individuals is an important consideration in wildlife research and monitoring. Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags (or microchips) generally have high retention rates; however, tag loss rates for small mammals such as insectivorous bats are poorly understood. We double-marked a population of Gould's wattled bats (Chalinolobus gouldii) with forearm bands and PIT tags (with the injection site sealed with surgical adhesive) in January and February 2020 to determine rates of subsequent tag loss over the short- (1–2 months) and medium- (13–14 months) term. Loss of PIT tags occurred in 4 (2.7%) of 146 recaptured individuals, all within 2 months of microchipping. We also recorded 1 occurrence of band loss 11 months after banding. Our study supports assertions that PIT-tag retention rates in small mammals are high, and suggests that rates of tag loss in small bat species are low when surgical adhesive is applied. Quantifying the rate of tag loss enables this variable to be incorporated into mark-recapture models. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.