Abstract
Temperature, humidity, and tunnel usage by bats were surveyed during the wintering season in four artificial tunnels that form an underground waterway culvert located in the western part of Kochi prefecture, Japan. Four species of bats overwintered in the tunnels and they tended to use the tunnels with small temperature fluctuations. Miniopterus fuliginosus did not use the tunnel where the temperature was too high but Rhinolophus cornutus did. These results seem to be consistent with previous reports on natural caves. On the other hand, the use of the tunnels by Rhinolophus ferrumequinum was limited. In Myotis macrodactylus, the characteristic conditions of use were unknown. This study could provide a theoretical basis for the creation or maintenance of artificial roosts.
