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--Apple-Mail-7--144629978 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes; format=flowed THANKS, FRED! from Jim et al. Begin forwarded message: > From: fred scott <fwscott@eastlink.ca> > Date: July 8, 2013 11:59:47 AM ADT > To: Hugh Broders <Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA>, "James W. Wolford" =20 > <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>, Nature BNS <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca> > Cc: Mark F Elderkin <elderkmf@gov.ns.ca>, Andrew Hebda =20 > <HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca>, Donald McAlpine <Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca> > Subject: RE: re bats endangered -- good for other insectivores?? > > Hi all, > > Hugh is quite right. The idea that insectivorous bats in North =20 > America feed on mosquitoes is a myth derived from a gross =20 > misunderstanding of a single old paper that provided the numbers of =20= > mosquitoes eaten in one night by a captive big brown bat (Eptesicus =20= > fuscus). It would normally prey on much larger insects, but made do =20= > with mosquitoes because that was all it was offered. Also, it is a =20 > much larger animal than the little brown, long-eared and tricolored =20= > bats in NS. > > In fact the vast majority of the feeding time of insectivorous bats =20= > is spent well above the zones where mosquitoes are found. Even when =20= > bats forage within a meter or two of the forest canopy, there are =20 > no mosquitoes there because there are no sleeping warm-blooded =20 > animals in the air=97they are all down in the foliage. The bats will =20= > take a mosquito if they come across one, but to seek them out they =20 > would have to dodge and flutter through cluttered environments =20 > under trees and shrubs, or within a foot or two of the grass on =20 > fields or meadows, and it wouldn't be an energetically efficient =20 > way to forage, especially for such a small protein package. > > It is also wrongly believed by many that swallows and swifts eats =20 > large amounts of mosquitoes, but they normally feed high in the =20 > open air, well away from any zone where mosquitoes would be hanging =20= > out. Mosquitoes normally rest on vegetation until some disturbance =20 > or signal that could mean a blood meal stimulates them to take wing =20= > and seek it out. > > Cheers, > > Fred --Apple-Mail-7--144629978 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> THANKS, FRED! from Jim et al.<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded = message:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">fred scott <<a = href=3D"mailto:fwscott@eastlink.ca">fwscott@eastlink.ca</a>></font></di= v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">July 8, 2013 11:59:47 AM ADT</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Hugh = Broders <<a = href=3D"mailto:Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA">Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA</a>>, "James = W. Wolford" <<a = href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>>, = Nature BNS <<a = href=3D"mailto:nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca">nature@blomidonnaturalists.c= a</a>></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Cc: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Mark F Elderkin <<a = href=3D"mailto:elderkmf@gov.ns.ca">elderkmf@gov.ns.ca</a>>, Andrew = Hebda <HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca>, = Donald McAlpine <<a = href=3D"mailto:Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca">Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca</a>&= gt;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>RE: re bats endangered -- good for = other insectivores??</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: = 14px; "><br></div> Hi all,<br><br>Hugh is quite right. The idea that = insectivorous bats in North America feed on mosquitoes is a myth derived = from a gross misunderstanding of a single old paper that provided the = numbers of mosquitoes eaten in one night by a <span = style=3D"text-decoration: underline;">captive</span> big brown bat = (<span style=3D"font-style: italic;">Eptesicus fuscus</span>). It would = normally prey on much larger insects, but made do with mosquitoes = because that was all it was offered. Also, it is a much larger animal = than the little brown, long-eared and tricolored bats in NS.<br><br>In = fact the vast majority of the feeding time of insectivorous bats is = spent well above the zones where mosquitoes are found. Even when bats = forage within a meter or two of the forest canopy, there are no = mosquitoes there because there are no sleeping warm-blooded animals in = the air=97they are all down in the foliage. The bats will take a = mosquito if they come across one, but to seek them out they would have = to dodge and flutter through cluttered environments under trees and = shrubs, or within a foot or two of the grass on fields or meadows, and = it wouldn't be an energetically efficient way to forage, especially for = such a small protein package. <br><br> It is also wrongly believed = by many that swallows and swifts eats large amounts of mosquitoes, but = they normally feed high in the open air, well away from any zone where = mosquitoes would be hanging out. Mosquitoes normally rest on vegetation = until some disturbance or signal that could mean a blood meal stimulates = them to take wing and seek it = out.<br><br>Cheers,<br><br>Fred</blockquote></div><br></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-7--144629978--
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