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Vol. 43 No. 4, 2004
Temporal Variations in the Size and Composition of Formosan
Leafnosed Bat (Hipposideros terasensis) Colonies in Central Taiwan
Hsi-Chi Cheng1 and Ling-Ling Lee2,*
1Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, Nantou, Taiwan 552. Tel: 886-49-2761331 ext. 143. E-mail: chenghc@tesri.gov.tw
2Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106
Hsi-Chi Cheng1 and Ling-Ling Lee (2004) Three colonies of Formosan leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros terasensis),
at Shuili, Chungliao I, and Chungliao II in Nantou County, central
Taiwan, were monitored by both direct observations and mark-recapture
for different periods between 1996 and 2000. The Shuili colony was
mostly comprised of adult males and only 2~4 breeding females with pups
were observed once during the study period. The size of this bachelor
colony peaked in both Mar. and July~Aug., with about 400~700
individuals. The proportion of male bats at the Chungliao I colony was
over 50% in most months except in Mar. At Chungliao II, however, the
proportion of male bats was less than 30% almost year-round. Other
members of the 2 colonies were mostly breeding females and their young.
One or 2 peaks in numbers were found in these 2 breeding colonies in
different years, with a maximum of 400~500 individuals at Chungliao I
between July and Oct., and more than 2300 individuals at Chungliao II
in Aug.~Sept. In winter, large numbers of hibernating bats were found
only at Chungliao II. Birth and natal dispersal of the young and
seasonal migration of adults contributed to temporal changes in size
and composition of these colonies. Juvenile female bats showed higher
fidelity to their natal roost than did males and bats of other ages.
Key words: Bat annual cycle, Fidelity, Hipposideridae, Mark-recapture, Sex ratio.
*Correspondence: Tel/Fax: 886-2-23634606. E-mail: leell@ntu.edu.tw
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