A Natural History of Bat Foraging

A Natural History of Bat Foraging: Evolution, Physiology, Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation offers an all-inclusive resource on all aspects encompassing the vital process of foraging for bats. The book explores knowledge in the field, including sensory ecology, the development of cognitive maps, bat microbiomes, and molecular approaches to studying a bat's diet. It covers the importance of foraging in biology, from evolution and natural selection, to physiology, behaviour, ecology, and natural history. In addition, it provides a unique focus on the implications of bat foraging for conservation purposes, including the role that molecular biology can play in preventing species depletion or extinction.

With over 1,400 species, bats are among the most diverse vertebrate groups, having evolved an astonishingly broad range of foraging strategies to adapt to nearly all global regions and environments. The book assesses manmade and environmental issues that bats must overcome to ensure survival and prevent extinction. Written by international leaders in bat research, this is the ideal resource for bat specialists and conservationists, as well as zoologists, animal behaviourists, and academics associated with such disciplines.

1. Introduction
2. Origin and evolution of foraging strategies in bats
3. Evolutionary arms races
4. Sensory systems used by echolocating bats to forage in natural settings
5. Cognitive maps
6. Foraging strategies of echolocating bats
7. Foraging, movements and diet habits of desert-dwelling bats
8. Social foraging and information transfer
9. Dynamics of bats and their prey
10. Bats as prey
11. Energetics of bats
12. Bat migration and foraging: Energy-demanding journeys on tight budgets
13. Microbiomes of bats
14. Diets of bats
15. Bioaccumulation and foraging behavior
16. Foraging dependent ecosystem services
17. Bat foraging and conservation
18. Conclusion