Use of dead-leaf foliage as day-roosts by the Ryukyu tube-nosed bat, Murina ryukyuana

Abstract

The use of dead-leaf foliage as day-roosts by the Ryukyu tube-nosed bat, Murina ryukyuana, was first recorded under natural conditions in subtropical broad-leaved forest on Tokunoshima Island, Japan. Three tree species were found to be used by the bat as day-roosts: Idesia polycarpa, Symplocos cochinchinensis, and Schefflera heptaphylla. These three tree species appeared to share common traits, being relatively broad-leaved and forming foliage under dry conditions. The Ryukyu tube-nosed bat might use various types of roosts as well as dead-leaf foliage, since the use of varied roosting sites has been documented in other Murina species, including tree cavities, under bark, dead-leaf foliage, leaf litter, and caves. Accumulating information through incidental observations and radiotelemetry tracking could lead to a better understanding of the roosting ecology of this species.