Living with voracious roommates: Factors that explain isotopic niche variation in a mixed colony of insectivorous bats

Abstract

Theory predicts that in resource-limited environments, coexisting species may overlap their niche dimensions but must differ in at least one to avoid competitive exclusion. Specifically, it has been suggested that the coexistence of competing species within a guild, could be sustained with mechanisms of resource partitioning, such as segregation along a trophic dimension. Among the most gregarious mammals are bats, which present diversification in their diet based on habitat choice and body size. Despite differences that could explain specialization in prey selection, there are insufficient studies that explore food overlap in mixed bat colonies and the factors that determine the selection of prey, both at intra- and inter-specific levels. To fill this gap, we analyzed the isotope signal (δ13C and δ15N) in feces collected in a mixed colony of Tadarida brasiliensis and Myotis chiloensis. To understand how several factors could influence these isotopic signals, intrinsic explanatory variables were analyzed, including body mass, body length, age, and sex. Also, extrinsic variables were analyzed, including monthly temporality and moonlight intensity. Our findings support age-dependent specialization in M. chiloensis, with a significant role of moonlight intensity and sex on δ15N. In T. brasiliensis, we identified a significant effect of size, sex, and ear length on δ15N. Our analysis indicates that both species of bats experience diverse degrees of overlap through austral summer months, affected by several factors that explain the variability in their fecal isotopic signals.