Foraging Behavior and Prey Selection by Large Slit-Faced Bats (Nycteris grandis; Chiroptera: Nycteridae)

(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Analysis of prey remains from beneath feeding perches in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe between 1 March 1987 and 30 April 1988, showed that Nycteris grandis fed mainly on frogs, bats, and arthropods, and occasionally took birds and fish. There was marked seasonal variation in the prey taken, with bats and frogs dominating the biomass at different times. In November 1987, all-night radio-tracking over 15 bat nights revealed significant differences in habitat use between individuals, with one bat foraging along and over the Zambezi River, and another foraging in Acacia albida woodland and over the river. The bats alternated between foraging from continuous flight and making short flights from perches, although foraging over the river usually entailed continuous flight. Significant differences in the use of these foraging strategies between 1987 and an earlier study coincided with differences in November rainfall, and a drastic reduction in the amount of food the bats consumed daily.