Study on Hibernating Caves and Food Source of Copper-winged Bat (Myotis formosus), for Multiplication and Preservation

Copper-winged bat (Myotis formosus) is a species of Vespetilionidae (Nowak 1994, Yun et al., 2004) and lives in East Asia, including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, southern China, the Philippines, Malaysia, northern India, and eastern Afghanistan. Bats prefer a specific range of temperatures and humidity when they select a hibernation place. The environments of a cave have great influences on survival of bats during hibernation, while the food supplies have an influence on survival during active periods. Bats feed on animals, mostly insects. Copper-winged bats are designated as IUCN Red List Vulnerable Species, and research and studies are imperative to preserve the species in Korea, as there are not many existing studies on the species. The environment of a hibernating cave was especially examined on the basis of preliminary studies, which found that the temperature in bat' hibernation place was specific to the species. In a study comparing night insects around caves with a large number of hibernating bats and caves with a small number of hibernating bats, it was found that there were more diverse species and higher number of insects around caves that had more hibernating copper-winged bats. As a result of correlation analysis on the body surface temperature and cave walls temperature, Geumseong Cave, Jovicave and Seokpo Cave showed high positive correlations (r2»0.86, p<0.01). Based on the results, this study was intended to present basic data on the importance of hibernating caves and foods (insect fauna) for multiplication and preservation of copper-winged bats.