Open research questions in Bat Biology and Ecology Studies

What the literature leaves open

• Further study of the physiological mechanisms that drive interbout arousals. Further study of the organization of thermophysiological systems across species.

  Discovering a low-dimensional temperature control architecture across animals · 2026 · DOI

• There is limited data on nucleus-specific regulatory mechanisms underlying torpor control in Djungarian hamsters. The specific mechanisms by which the hypothalamus coordinates torpor are not well understood.

  Daily torpor in the Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) is orchestrated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus: evidence from immediate early gene mapping and nucleus-specific sequencing · 2026 · DOI

• The study excluded all heterothermic North American bat species due to alternate thermoregulatory habits. The Mexican Ground Squirrel was excluded from analysis due to an extremely small sample size (n = 1). The limited sample size in the daily heterotherm group (n = 13) may not infer a relationship.

  Examining mammalian thermoregulation clines across North America using Bergmann’s rule · 2026 · DOI

• The applicability of Bergmann's rule is highly debated due to the definition itself. There is a lack of studies examining the adherence to Bergmann's rule in heterothermic species.

  Examining mammalian thermoregulation clines across North America using Bergmann’s rule · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges due to the remote location of the island and the limited availability of recording devices. The study faced challenges due to the cryptic nature of bat species and the difficulty of detecting them. The study faced challenges due to the limited number of sampling sites and the malfunction of recording devices at some sites.

  Bats of a remote island: integrated genetic and bioacoustics monitoring confirms species occurrence in Flores (Azores, Portugal) · 2026 · DOI

• The study was limited to a small number of sampling sites. The recording devices malfunctioned at two sites, reducing the number of available data points. The study relied on a single collected specimen for genetic analysis.

  Bats of a remote island: integrated genetic and bioacoustics monitoring confirms species occurrence in Flores (Azores, Portugal) · 2026 · DOI

• Abstract Echolocating bats navigate complex environments with remarkable agility, yet it remains unclear whether their flight trajectories are governed by reproducible internal policies shared within a species and across the controlled environments examined.

  Evidence for latent regularities in echolocation-guided flight behaviour of bats · 2026 · DOI

• However, it remains unclear whether active restoration measures can accelerate ecological recovery during the early stages of rewilding in newly protected forests.

  Rewilding structural complexity: Responses of bats to active forest restoration · 2026 · DOI

• The Arctic ground squirrel (AGS, Urocitellus parryii) is a valuable model for studying extreme physiology, including metabolic suppression during hibernation and resistance to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, yet no studies have evaluated AAV performance in the AGS brain.

  Serotype-dependent differences in AAV cellular transduction rates in the hypothalamus of Arctic ground squirrels · 2026 · DOI

• Hibernation is an adaptation to extreme environmental seasonality that has been studied for almost 200 years, but our understanding of the underlying physiological system remains lacking due to the partially observed nature of the system.

  Discovering a low-dimensional temperature control architecture across animals · 2026 · DOI

• Data regarding endocrinology and metabolic homeostasis among Acomys cahirinus are very limited. The regulation of carbohydrate metabolism may have evolved along adaptive trajectories in arid-adapted species.

  Adaptive glucose homeostasis in the desert rodent Acomys cahirinus: high glucose tolerance, liver metabolic shifts, and visceral adiposity · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies may investigate the metabolic adaptation of other species or tissues to extreme energetic demands. The development of novel therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular disease may be informed by the study's findings. Further research may apply the study's approach to other species or tissues.

  Metabolomics-constrained modelling reveals dominant oxidative metabolism in the Egyptian fruit bat myocardium · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in our understanding of the ecological interactions between native and immigrant species in urban landscapes. The research highlights the need for further study of the impacts of urbanisation and climate change on urban biodiversity.

  Native and immigrant bat niches in a city agglomeration: implication for urban landscape planning · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies should explore the year-round dynamics of guano communities. Research into the pathogenicity and transmission of viruses identified in bat guano is needed. Comparing guano communities across different bat species and roost types could provide broader insights.

  Microbial, dietary insect, and pathogen communities in fresh and decomposing guano of anthropic little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) maternity colonies · 2026 · DOI

• The study only focused on the fall migration period in Iowa, USA. The study used a limited number of turbines and cameras. The study did not account for other potential factors that may affect wildlife activity at wind turbines.

  Integrating 3-D thermal videography, ultrasonic acoustics, and weather radar to characterize bird and bat activity at wind turbines · 2026 · DOI

• Prior work has relied on single sensing modalities to monitor wildlife activity at wind turbines. There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of wildlife activity at wind turbines. The study aims to address this gap by integrating multiple sensing modalities to improve inference about taxonomic composition, airspace use, and behavioral responses near wind turbines.

  Integrating 3-D thermal videography, ultrasonic acoustics, and weather radar to characterize bird and bat activity at wind turbines · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of the role of bats in emerging zoonoses. There is a need for surveillance of infectious and vector-borne diseases in wildlife.

  Neotropical bats as sentinels for emerging zoonoses in Central America: A case study identifying Trypanosoma cruzi in bats from Belize using metagenomic next-generation sequencing · 2026 · DOI

• Bats can spread an array of infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, although it is not fully understood the extent to which bats participate in zoonotic spillover [24,34].

  Neotropical bats as sentinels for emerging zoonoses in Central America: A case study identifying Trypanosoma cruzi in bats from Belize using metagenomic next-generation sequencing · 2026 · DOI

• Many historical records were based on documents that were no longer accessible or existed only in limited printed or handwritten forms. Records lacking verification of species identification or specific geographical location information were excluded from the compilation.

  Taxonomy, natural history, and conservation of the mammals of Honduras · 2026 · DOI

• Abstract The replacement of conventional lighting with energy‐saving light emitting diodes ( LED ) is a worldwide trend, yet its consequences for animals and ecosystems are poorly understood.

  Migratory bats are attracted by red light but not by warm‐white light: Implications for the protection of nocturnal migrants · 2018 · DOI

• This study expands our limited knowledge of geographical variation of mammalian chemical signals and highlights the importance of bacterial communities in shaping chemical divergence.

  Geographical variation of chemical signals and odor discrimination in the great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros armiger) · 2026 · DOI

• Critical physiological processes, including the immune function are downregulated during torpor – a phenomenon that remains relatively understudied in bats, especially in the southern hemisphere.

  Emergence from torpor rapidly elevates suppressed blood immune parameters in a bat species hibernating in a moderate climate · 2026 · DOI

• Additionally, we find the effects of target motion unpredictability are first seen as changes in the vocal motor plan and then the auditory motor plan (ear motion), hinting at a sequencing of motor changes that warrant further investigation.

  Unpredictable Motion Shapes Sensing Behaviors Across Timescales · 2026 · DOI

• Despite limited knowledge of bat visual ecology relative to hearing, the diversity of bat species makes them useful models for studying sensory adaptation mechanisms.

  Seasonal changes in the transcriptome of bat eyes reveal adaptive changes to exploit summer twilight · 2026 · DOI

• Despite this potential, how guano communities change during decomposition remains understudied, particularly inside anthropic roosts rather than caves.

  Microbial, dietary insect, and pathogen communities in fresh and decomposing guano of anthropic little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) maternity colonies · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Bat Biology and Ecology Studies

• Habitat fragmentation is associated with dietary shifts and microbiota variability in common vampire bats · Ecology and Evolution · 2019 · 87 citations
• Pollination by the locally endangered island flying fox (<i>Pteropus hypomelanus</i>) enhances fruit production of the economically important durian (<i>Durio zibethinus</i>) · Ecology and Evolution · 2017 · 75 citations
• Insectivorous bats selectively source moths and eat mostly pest insects on dryland and irrigated cotton farms · Ecology and Evolution · 2019 · 68 citations
• Migratory bats are attracted by red light but not by warm‐white light: Implications for the protection of nocturnal migrants · Ecology and Evolution · 2018 · 59 citations
• NABat: A top-down, bottom-up solution to collaborative continental-scale monitoring · AMBIO · 2021 · 35 citations
• The ecology and evolution of the monito del monte, a relict species from the southern South America temperate forests · Ecology and Evolution · 2022 · 34 citations
• Who’s for dinner? Bird prey diversity and choice in the great evening bat, <i>Ia io</i> · Ecology and Evolution · 2021 · 20 citations
• First report on metabarcoding analysis of gut microbiome in Island Flying Fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) in island populations of Malaysia · Biodiversity Data Journal · 2022 · 19 citations
• Towards a General Approach for Bat Echolocation Detection and Classification · bioRxiv · 2026 · 14 citations
• Responses of Bat Communities (Mammalia: Chiroptera) to Forest Loss and Habitat Conversion in Southern Cameroon · Tropical Conservation Science · 2021 · 12 citations

Most recent work

• Towards a General Approach for Bat Echolocation Detection and Classification · bioRxiv · 2026
• Climatic factors and host species composition at hibernation sites drive the incidence of bat fungal disease · bioRxiv · 2026
• Aerial hawking in a gleaning specialist bat ( <i>Trachops cirrhosus</i> ) does not involve a high-resolution buzz · Journal of Experimental Biology · 2026
• Rapid population decline of Egyptian fruit bats on Cyprus · bioRxiv · 2026
• Roost switching and behavioural shifts following human disturbance of vampire bats in complex landscapes. · bioRxiv · 2026
• Geographical variation of chemical signals and odor discrimination in the great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros armiger) · BMC Biology · 2026
• Thermal Niche Differentiation Shapes the Hibernating Bat Assemblages in Bulgarian Caves Across an Elevational Gradient · Biology · 2026
• Emergence from torpor rapidly elevates suppressed blood immune parameters in a bat species hibernating in a moderate climate · Journal of Experimental Biology · 2026
• On the move: southern range expansion of Italian parti-coloured bats · Mammalian Biology · 2026
• Moms Don’t Get Sick Days: Lack of Sickness Behavior in Free-Ranging Lactating Fish-eating Bats · Current Zoology · 2026

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