Vol. 63, 2024

(update: 2024.12.19)

Wing Morphology of Japanese Bats: Predicting Ecological Features for Data-insufficient Species

Takahiro Maki^1,2 and Dai Fukui^3,*

¹Amami Station, International Center for Island Studies, Kagoshima University, Amami, Kagoshima, 894-0026, Japan. E-mail: yamakoumori23@gmail.com (Maki)
²The University of Tokyo Forest, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 079-1561, Japan
³The University of Tokyo Fuji Iyashinomori Woodland Study Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 341-2 Yamanaka, Yamanakako-mura, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi, 401-0501, Japan. *Correspondence: E-mail: fukuidai@uf.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Fukui)

(Received 19 August 2023 / Accepted 26 June 2024 / Published -- 2024)
Communicated by Chi-Chien Kuo

Wing morphology, one of the most important morphological traits in bats, is closely related to their foraging habitat and strategies and has been explored as a pivotal trait for ecological and conservation studies. However, studies on wing morphology, as well as the ecology of Japanese bats, are largely lacking. In this study, we aimed to enrich the wing morphology data of Japanese bats. The wing variables, including forearm length, aspect ratio, relative wing loading, and wing tip shape index, were assessed using museum and private specimens of 34 Japanese bat species. Hierarchical clustering of the wing variables classified the bats into nine clusters to predict their foraging ecology, including the species for which ecological knowledge was lacking. Based on the ecological knowledge of Japanese bats, the aspect ratio of bats belonging to the open-space foraging guild was significantly higher than that of those belonging to other guilds. In contrast, the wing tip shape index of bats belonging to the narrow-space foraging guild was significantly higher than those belonging to the other guilds. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the complex interplay between wing morphology and foraging ecology in Japanese bats, offering insights for future research and conservation efforts.

Key words: Wing morphology, Chiroptera, Morphological trait, Specimens, Japan

Citation: Maki T, Fukui D. 2024. Wing morphology of Japanese bats: predicting ecological features for data-insufficient species. Zool Stud 63:36. doi:10.6620/ZS.2024.63-36.

Supplementary materials: Table S1丨Table S2