Alopecia in Two Species of Insectivorous Bats During the Critical Time Period of Female Reproduction

Ashleigh B. Cable^1,*, Emma V. Willcox¹, Cory Holliday², Chris S. Ogle³, and Richard W. Gerhold⁴

¹Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, 2505 E.J. Chapman Drive, RM 427 Plant Biotech Building., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996. ²The Nature Conservancy, Tennessee Chapter, 750 Big Branch Road, Granville, TN 38564. ³Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, Region 4, 3030 Wildlife Way, Morristown, TN 37814.⁴College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 22, Issue 1 (2023): N1–N8

Abstract
Alopecia in bats has been related to multiple stressors, such as ectoparasite infestations, environmental contaminant exposure, idiopathic disease, and reproductive stress. Here we note occurrences of alopecia in 2 species of insectivorous bats, including a federally endangered species. In the summer of 2022, we encountered 3 Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown Bat) and 7 Myotis grisescens (Gray Bat) with alopecia during mist-net and harp-trap surveys at multiple locations in Tennessee, USA. Seven of the 10 bats with bald spots were adult lactating or post-lactating females, 1 was an adult pregnant female, and 2 were adult nonreproductive males. No bats with alopecia were encountered after the lactation or post-lactation time period, despite continued mist-net and harp-trap surveys. The cause of the alopecia is unknown and warrants further investigation of prevalence across pre-reproductive (pre-pregnancy), reproductive (pregnancy, lactation, and spermatogenesis), and post-reproductive (pup volancy) periods in these populations. Understanding natural molt cycles versus alopecia as an outward sign of stress in individuals is critical for assessing the health of bat populations.

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