Print PageStable hydrogen isotope analysis is a method that is being increasingly used to determine geographic origin and trace the movement of bats. The heavy hydrogen stable isotope has a defined gradient across the globe and can be used as a geographic tracer because it is metabolically incorporated into the fur of the bat. Stable hydrogen isotope analysis has brought much promise to trace the movement of bats, but most studies have captured bats from multiple states and therefore have shown extreme isotopic variation within species, sexes, and ages. The objective of my study is to a) establish if the bats of the Delmarva Peninsula are migratory or resident and b) determine the amount of isotopic variation between species, sexes, ages, and places on the body that the fur was cut from bats that are mistnetted in the same general geographic location.
Results/Conclusions
To date, I have analyzed 229 hair samples from 7 species including Myotis septentrionalis, Myotis lucifigus, Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus cinereus, Nycticeius humeralis, Eptesicus fuscus, and Perimyotis subflavus. Another field season is required to obtain an acceptable amount of data, but preliminary results show that there may be both resident species and migratory species on the Delmarva Peninsula during the rearing season. The results of my study have large applicability because the amount of true variation between species and cohorts can now be considered in future isotopic studies.
