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Frugivorous bats drink nutrient- and clay-enriched water in the Amazon rain forest: support for a dual function of mineral-lick visits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2013

Simon J. Ghanem ,
Hans Ruppert ,
Thomas H. Kunz  and
Christian C. Voigt
Simon J. Ghanem*
Affiliation:
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany Freie Universität Berlin, Verhaltensbiologie, Takustr. 6, Berlin, Germany
Hans Ruppert
Affiliation:
Geosciences Center, Department of Sedimentology and Environmental Geosciences, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Thomas H. Kunz
Affiliation:
Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Str., 02115 Boston, USA
Christian C. Voigt
Affiliation:
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany Freie Universität Berlin, Verhaltensbiologie, Takustr. 6, Berlin, Germany
*
1Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract:

In Central Amazonia, large mammals create water-filled puddles when consuming soil. These mineral licks are visited by pregnant and lactating frugivorous bats; possibly for two reasons. Frugivorous bats could supplement their mineral-depleted fruit diet by drinking salty water, or they could buffer dietary plant secondary compounds by consuming soil. We analysed bat fruits from Ecuador and showed that they are depleted in elemental concentrations (Na, K, P) compared with similar fruits collected from Costa Rica, where no mineral licks occur (n = 32). Analyses of water from Ecuador revealed that water samples from six mineral licks contained more physiologically relevant elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca) than four samples from river and stream water control sites (Mann–Whitney U-test). In support of the nutrient supplement hypothesis, we observed bats drinking mineral-enriched water at these licks (video observation). Furthermore, blood collected from 68 bats differed in composition with respect to physiologically relevant minerals (Na, K, Mg, Fe) from that of frugivorous bats captured at control sites. To test whether frugivorous bats also consumed clay for detoxification, we checked for soil tracer elements in 31 faecal samples. Soil tracers are insoluble in water and, thus, are not included in a strict fruit diet. Bats from mineral licks showed higher aluminium soil tracer concentrations in their faeces than bat species that never visit licks, suggesting that frugivorous bats take up clay material at mineral licks. Our results provide evidence that frugivorous bats ingest soluble mineral nutrients and insoluble soil by consuming soil-enriched water at mineral licks, thus supporting the hypothesis that frugivorous bats of western Amazonia may derive a dual benefit from drinking water from mineral licks.

Resumen:

En la Amazonia Central, los mamíferos grandes construyen charcos de agua durante el consumo del suelo. Estos saladeros son frecuentemente visitados por murciélagos frugívoros por dos posibles razones: suplementar su dieta baja en minerales por medio de beber agua con alto contenido de sales o amortiguar compuestos secundarios provenientes de plantas. Hemos analizado frutos consumidos por murciélagos en Ecuador y observamos una reducción en el contenido de minerales (Na, K, P) en comparación con frutos similares colectados en Costa Rica, donde no existen saladeros (n = 32). Los análisis de agua de seis saladeros en Ecuador revelaron un mayor contenido de minerales con relevancia fisiológica (Na, K, Mg, Ca) a cuatro muestras de puntos de control de ríos y afluentes. Con el uso de cámaras infrarrojas grabamos murciélagos tomando agua en saladeros. Determinamos si los murciélagos ingieren minerales al tomar agua rica en nutrientes en los saladeros comparando el contenido de minerales con relevancia fisiológica (Na, K, Mg, Fe) en la sangre de 68 murciélagos que visitan los saladeros con murciélagos capturados en sitios de control. La sangre de murciélagos frugívoros capturados en los saladeros difiere en su composición de minerales de la de murciélagos capturados en otros sitios. También examinamos si los murciélagos consumían arcilla buscando trazas de suelo en 31 muestras de heces. Dichas trazas son insolubles en agua y, por lo tanto, no incluidas en una dieta frugívora. Los murciélagos frugívoros que visitan los saladeros mostraron una mayor concentración de trazas de suelo en las heces que murciélagos insectívoros que nunca los visitan. Nuestros resultados proveen evidencia que los murciélagos frugívoros ingieren nutrientes minerales solubles y arcilla insoluble al consumir agua enriquecida con arcilla en los saladeros. Esto apoya la hipótesis que los murciélagos frugívoros de la Amazonia occidental obtienen un doble beneficio al visitar dichos saladeros.

Keywords

detoxificationgeophagynutrient supplementationsecondary metabolitessoil tracer
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 1 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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