FLIGHT STYLE IN BATS AS PREDICTED FROM WING MORPHOMETRY - THE EFFECTSOF SPECIMEN PRESERVATION

An as yet unconsidered potential error in studies that predict flight style from morphological measurements of bats is the effect of the spe cimen type employed. On the basis of the finding that morphological me asurements taken from fluid-preserved bat specimens may not yield valu es equivalent to those taken from the live animal, we compared the val ues of several variables (lifting surface area, wingspan, mass, aspect ratio, wing loading and minimum power speed) for live and fluid-prese rved little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) with the accepted standards for this species given by Norberg & Rayner (1987). Significant differe nces were detected for lifting surface area, wingspan, mass, aspect ra tio and wing loading values taken from live bats and their respective values reported by Norberg and Rayner. Differences between preserved b ats and Norberg & Rayner's numbers were limited to lifting surface are a and wingspan (extended wing positions only), aspect ratio (all wing positions), and mass (both 70% ethanol- and 45% isopropyl alcohol-pres erved specimens). Thus, Norberg & Rayner's Values correspond most clos ely to values obtained from preserved museum specimens, a fact reflect ing the source of their data in this instance. This and other limitati ons involved in attempting to predict the flight style of bats from a few morphological characters are discussed.