亚博棋牌平台
Your source for the latest research news
Follow Subscribe RSS Feeds 亚博棋牌平台letters
New:
  • Planet Nine-Like Exoplanet Around Distant Star
  • Rapid Genomics Strategy to Trace Coronavirus
  • New Superhighway System in the Solar System
  • Sifting Out the First Gravitational Waves
  • Neanderthals Buried Their Dead: New Evidence
  • Spiders in Space: Making Webs Without Gravity
  • Pterosaur Precursors: Evolutionary Gap
  • Obesity Impairs Immune Cell Function
  • Science of Sandcastles Is Clarified, Finally
  • Risk of Advanced Cancers: Evolution to Blame?
advertisement
Follow all of 亚博棋牌平台's latest research news and top science headlines!
Science 亚博棋牌平台
from research organizations

1

2

For vampire bats, social distancing while sick comes naturally

Study in the wild shows sick bats lead to marked change in colony social network

Date:
October 27, 2020
Source:
Ohio State University
Summary:
New research shows that when vampire bats feel sick, they socially distance themselves from groupmates in their roost -- no public health guidance required.
Share:
FULL STORY

Common vampire bats | Credit: © belizar / stock.adobe.com
Common vampire bats (stock image).
Credit: © belizar / stock.adobe.com
Common vampire bats | Credit: © belizar / stock.adobe.com
Common vampire bats (stock image).
Credit: © belizar / stock.adobe.com

New research shows that when vampire bats feel sick, they socially distance themselves from groupmates in their roost -- no public health guidance required.

advertisement

The researchers gave wild vampire bats a substance that activated their immune system and made them feel sick for several hours, and then returned the bats to their roost. A control group of bats received a placebo.

Data on the behavior of these bats was transmitted to scientists by custom-made "backpack" computers that were glued to the animals' backs, recording the vampire bats' social encounters.

Compared to control bats in their hollow-tree home, sick bats interacted with fewer bats, spent less time near others and were overall less interactive with individuals that were well-connected with others in the roost.

Healthy bats were also less likely to associate with a sick bat, the data showed.

"Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we feel fine, doesn't feel particularly normal. But when we're sick, it's common to withdraw a bit and stay in bed longer because we're exhausted. And that means we're likely to have fewer social encounters," said Simon Ripperger, co-lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in evolution, ecology and organismal biology at The Ohio State University.

advertisement

"That's the same thing we were observing in this study: In the wild, vampire bats -- which are highly social animals -- keep their distance when they're sick or living with sick groupmates. And it can be expected that they reduce the spread of disease as a result."

The study was published today (Oct. 27, 2020) in the journal Behavioral Ecology.

Ripperger works in the lab of co-lead author Gerald Carter, assistant professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at Ohio State. The two scientists and their co-author on this paper, University of Texas at Austin graduate student Sebastian Stockmaier, are also affiliated with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.

Carter and Ripperger have partnered on numerous studies of social behavior in vampire bats. Among their previous findings: Vampire bats make friends through a gradual buildup of trust, and vampire bat moms maintained social connections to their offspring even when both felt sick.

For this work, the researchers captured 31 female common vampire bats living inside a hollow tree in Lamanai, Belize. They injected 16 bats with the molecule that induced the immune challenge -- but did not cause disease -- and 15 with saline, a placebo.

advertisement

After returning the bats to their roost, the scientists analyzed social behaviors in the colony over three days, including a "treatment period" from three to nine hours after the injections during which the researchers attributed behavior changes to the effects of treated bats feeling sick.

"We focused on three measures of the sick bats' behaviors: how many other bats they encountered, how much total time they spent with others, and how well-connected they were to the whole social network," Carter said.

On average, compared to control bats, the sick bats associated with four fewer groupmates over the six-hour treatment period and spent 25 fewer minutes interacting per partner, and the time any two bats spent near each other was shortest if the encounter involved at least one sick bat.

"One reason that the sick vampire bats encountered fewer groupmates is simply because they were lethargic and moved around less," Carter said. "In captivity, we saw that sick bats also groom others less and make fewer contact calls. These simple changes in behavior can create social distance even without any cooperation or avoidance by healthy bats. We had previously studied this in the lab. Our goal here was to measure the outcomes of these sickness behaviors in a natural setting.

"The effects we showed here are probably common in many other animals. But it is important to remember that changes in behavior also depend on the pathogen. We did not use a real virus or bacteria, because we wanted to isolate the effect of sickness behavior. Some real diseases might make interactions more likely, not less, or they might lead to sick bats being avoided."

Although the study did not document the spread of an actual disease, combining the social encounter data with known links between exposure time and pathogen transmission allows researchers to predict how sickness behavior can influence the spread of a pathogen in a social network.

Clearly identifying each bat's behavior in the colony's social network was possible only because the proximity sensors -- miniaturized computers that weigh less than a penny and fall off within a week or two -- took measures every few seconds of associations involving sick or healthy bats or a combination of the two. Visualizations of the proximity sensors' recordings showed growth in the number of connections made in the colony's social network from the treatment period to 48 hours later.

"The proximity sensors gave us an amazing new window into how the social behavior of these bats changed from hour to hour and even minute to minute during the course of the day and night, even while they are hidden in the darkness of a hollow tree," said Ripperger, who is also a visiting scientist at the Museum of National History in Berlin, Germany.

This work was supported by the German Research Foundation and a National Geographic Society Research Grant.

make a difference: sponsored opportunity

Story Source:

provided by . Original written by Emily Caldwell. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Simon P Ripperger, Sebastian Stockmaier, Gerald G Carter. Tracking sickness effects on social encounters via continuous proximity sensing in wild vampire bats. Behavioral Ecology, Oct. 27, 2020; DOI:

Cite This Page:

  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
Ohio State University. "For vampire bats, social distancing while sick comes naturally: Study in the wild shows sick bats lead to marked change in colony social network." 亚博棋牌平台. 亚博棋牌平台, 27 October 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201027105407.htm>.
Ohio State University. (2020, October 27). For vampire bats, social distancing while sick comes naturally: Study in the wild shows sick bats lead to marked change in colony social network. 亚博棋牌平台. Retrieved December 14, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201027105407.htm
Ohio State University. "For vampire bats, social distancing while sick comes naturally: Study in the wild shows sick bats lead to marked change in colony social network." 亚博棋牌平台. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201027105407.htm (accessed December 14, 2020).

  • RELATED TOPICS
    • Plants & Animals
      • Wild Animals
      • Extreme Survival
      • Behavioral Science
      • Mammals
      • Animals
      • Beer and Wine
      • Evolutionary Biology
      • Pests and Parasites
advertisement

  • RELATED TERMS
    • Bat
    • Dietary mineral
    • Vitamin
    • Slaughterhouse
    • Sugar Glider
    • Great Ape language
    • PCB
    • American Quarter Horse

1

2

3

4

5
RELATED STORIES

Vampire Bats Form Deep Social Bonds by Grooming Before Sharing Blood
Mar. 19, 2020 — For vampire bats, sharing blood with a roostmate is the mark of a true bond. Though these relationships are uncommon, they demonstrate behavior akin to what some might call friendship. Researchers ...
After Release Into Wild, Vampire Bats Keep 'Friends' Made in Captivity
Oct. 31, 2019 — Vampire bats that share food and groom each other in captivity are more likely to stick together when they're released back into the wild, find researchers. While most previous evidence of ...
Vampire Bat Immunity and Infection Risk Respond to Livestock Rearing
Mar. 26, 2018 — The availability of livestock as a food source for vampire bats influences their immune response and infection by bacterial pathogens, according to a new article. Because cattle ranching is common in ...
You Are What You Eat: Diet-Specific Adaptations in Vampire Bats
Feb. 19, 2018 — Vampire bats feed exclusively on blood, a mode of feeding unique amongst mammals. It has therefore been long suspected that vampire bats have highly specific evolutionary adaptations, which would be ...
FROM AROUND THE WEB

亚博棋牌平台 shares links with sites in the and earns revenue from third-party advertisers, where indicated.
  Print   Email   Share

advertisement

1

2

3

4

5
Most Popular
this week

PLANTS & ANIMALS
Diet Modifications -- Including More Wine and Cheese -- May Help Reduce Cognitive Decline, Study Suggests
Oral Drug Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Transmission, Researchers Find
(c) (c) anibal / AdobeNeanderthals Buried Their Dead: New Evidence
EARTH & CLIMATE
Research Reveals How Airflow Inside a Car May Affect COVID-19 Transmission Risk
(c) (c) Mopic / AdobeResearchers Uncover Key Clues About the Solar System's History
(c) (c) harvepino / AdobeGreenland Ice Sheet Faces Irreversible Melting
FOSSILS & RUINS
Boy or Girl? It's in the Father's Genes
(c) (c) Catmando / AdobePaleontologists Find Pterosaur Precursors That Fill a Gap in Early Evolutionary History
Blue-Eyed Humans Have a Single, Common Ancestor
advertisement

Strange & Offbeat
 

PLANTS & ANIMALS
Embryonic Development in a Petri Dish
'Electronic Amoeba' Finds Approximate Solution to Traveling Salesman Problem in Linear Time
Honey Bees Fend Off Giant Hornets With Animal Feces
EARTH & CLIMATE
First-Known Fossil Iguana Burrow Found in the Bahamas
Charles Darwin Was Right About Why Insects Are Losing the Ability to Fly
(c) (c) Fredy Thürig / AdobeCrystals May Help Reveal Hidden Kilauea Volcano Behavior
FOSSILS & RUINS
Unexpected Insights Into Early Dinosaur's Brain, Eating Habits and Agility
Researcher Adds to Timeline of Human Evolution by Studying an Island Fox
New 'Sea Dragon' Discovered Off UK Coastline
SD
  • SD
    • Home Page
    • Top Science 亚博棋牌平台
    • Latest 亚博棋牌平台
  • Home
    • Home Page
    • Top Science 亚博棋牌平台
    • Latest 亚博棋牌平台
  • Health
    • View all the latest top news in the health sciences,
      or browse the topics below:
      Health & Medicine
      • Allergy
      • Alternative Medicine
      • Birth Control
      • Cancer
      • Diabetes
      • Diseases
      • Heart Disease
      • HIV and AIDS
      • Obesity
      • Stem Cells
      • ... more topics
      Mind & Brain
      • ADD and ADHD
      • Addiction
      • Alzheimer's
      • Autism
      • Depression
      • Headaches
      • Intelligence
      • Psychology
      • Relationships
      • Schizophrenia
      • ... more topics
      Living Well
      • Parenting
      • Pregnancy
      • Sexual Health
      • Skin Care
      • Men's Health
      • Women's Health
      • Nutrition
      • Diet and Weight Loss
      • Fitness
      • Healthy Aging
      • ... more topics
  • Tech
    • View all the latest top news in the physical sciences & technology,
      or browse the topics below:
      Matter & Energy
      • Aviation
      • Chemistry
      • Electronics
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Nanotechnology
      • Physics
      • Quantum Physics
      • Solar Energy
      • Technology
      • Wind Energy
      • ... more topics
      Space & Time
      • Astronomy
      • Black Holes
      • Dark Matter
      • Extrasolar Planets
      • Mars
      • Moon
      • Solar System
      • Space Telescopes
      • Stars
      • Sun
      • ... more topics
      Computers & Math
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Communications
      • Computer Science
      • Hacking
      • Mathematics
      • Quantum Computers
      • Robotics
      • Software
      • Video Games
      • Virtual Reality
      • ... more topics
  • Enviro
    • View all the latest top news in the environmental sciences,
      or browse the topics below:
      Plants & Animals
      • Agriculture and Food
      • Animals
      • Biology
      • Biotechnology
      • Endangered Animals
      • Extinction
      • Genetically Modified
      • Microbes and More
      • New Species
      • Zoology
      • ... more topics
      Earth & Climate
      • Climate
      • Earthquakes
      • Environment
      • Geography
      • Geology
      • Global Warming
      • Hurricanes
      • Ozone Holes
      • Pollution
      • Weather
      • ... more topics
      Fossils & Ruins
      • Ancient Civilizations
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • Dinosaurs
      • Early Humans
      • Early Mammals
      • Evolution
      • Lost Treasures
      • Origin of Life
      • Paleontology
      • ... more topics
  • Society
    • View all the latest top news in the social sciences & education,
      or browse the topics below:
      Science & Society
      • Arts & Culture
      • Consumerism
      • Economics
      • Political Science
      • Privacy Issues
      • Public Health
      • Racial Disparity
      • Religion
      • Sports
      • World Development
      • ... more topics
      Business & Industry
      • Biotechnology & Bioengineering
      • Computers & Internet
      • Energy & Resources
      • Engineering
      • Medical Technology
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Transportation
      • ... more topics
      Education & Learning
      • Animal Learning & Intelligence
      • Creativity
      • Educational Psychology
      • Educational Technology
      • Infant & Preschool Learning
      • Learning Disorders
      • STEM Education
      • ... more topics
  • Quirky
    • Top 亚博棋牌平台
    • Human Quirks
    • Odd Creatures
    • Bizarre Things
    • Weird World
Free Subscriptions

Get the latest science news with 亚博棋牌平台's free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader:

  • Email 亚博棋牌平台letters
  • RSS Feeds
Follow Us

Keep up to date with the latest news from 亚博棋牌平台 via social networks:

Have Feedback?

Tell us what you think of 亚博棋牌平台 -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Have any problems using the site? Questions?

  • Leave Feedback
  • Contact Us
About This Site  |  Staff  |  Reviews  |  Contribute  |  Advertise  |  Privacy Policy  |  Editorial Policy  |  Terms of Use
亚博棋牌平台 foodfornoobs.com Copyright 2020 亚博棋牌平台 or by other parties, where indicated. All rights controlled by their respective owners.
Content on this website is for information only. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice.
Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of 亚博棋牌平台, its staff, its contributors, or its partners.
Financial support for 亚博棋牌平台 comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated.
— CCPA: Do Not Sell My Information — — GDPR: Privacy Settings —