Interspecific Associations among Peruvian Bats at Diurnal Roosts and Roost Sites

Herein, I describe patterns of interspecific diurnal roosting associations among Peruvian bats. Most roosts and roost sites were occupied by only one species. In the eastern lowlands, 34 species shared roosts with at least one other species. The types of roosts and roost sites most likely to be shared were either abundant and offered some protection (trees) or were less abundant but offered more protection (caves). Roosting generalists, which used a variety of types of roosts, were species observed to share roosts most often. Phyllostomus hastatus, Glos-sophaga soricina , and Carollia perspicillata were species with the highest percentages of roosts shared with other species. They also shared roosts with the largest number of species. These associations appear neutral for all but the Glossophaga-Carollia pairs. Most species that shared roosts occupy different roost sites. Only eight species shared roost sites with another species. Glossophaga and Carollia had the highest percentages of shared roost sites. They cohabited some of the same sites across a variety of types of roosts and roost sites and in at least seven of the 10 roosts where they co-occurred. Thus, these species may have benefited from the association.