Myotis myotis and Myotis blythii are vulnerable species belonging to the order Chiroptera. They generally form mixed colonies that are located in hypogeal environments in their southern distribution while shifting to churches northern from South Tyrol. The implementation of effective monitoring strategies are essential for the early detection of alarm situations and to mitigate predisposing factors. In the framework of the project CABLES (INTERREG italia-Osterreich ITAT-27-011), the RT will address the definition and implementation of tools to monitor the impact of biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors on the health status of target species.

The student will learn and implement bioacoustics analyses, statistical analyses on micro- and macroclimatic factors, active surveillance of bats trough individual and environmental sampling and molecular and epidemiological analyses for target microorganisms. In addition, samples collected in the framework of this RT will be used to investigate the exposure to toxic agents.

The project will be developed at Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, with supervision and training from UNIPD especially on bioacoustics and climate analyses. While being developed for the study of Myotis’ population, all techniques could be expanded for the monitoring of other bat species during the RT.

Five publications related to the Research Topic for the candidate interview:

1. Kim Younjung, Leopardi Stefania, Scaravelli Dino, Zecchin Barbara, Priori Pamela, Festa Francesca, Drzewnioková Petra, De Benedictis Paola and Nouvellet Pierre 2023 Transmission dynamics of lyssavirus in Myotis myotis: mechanistic modelling study based on longitudinal seroprevalence data Proc. R. Soc. B.29020230183. http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.0183
2. Revilla-Martín, N., Budinski, I., Puig-Montserrat, X., Flaquer, C., & López-Baucells, A. (2020). Monitoring cave-dwelling bats using remote passive acoustic detectors: a new approach for cave monitoring. Bioacoustics, 30(5), 527–542. https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2020.1816492
3. Leopardi, S.; Barneschi, E.; Manna, G.; Zecchin, B.; Priori, P.; Drzewnioková, P.; Festa, F.; Lombardo, A.; Parca, F.; Scaravelli, D.; et al. Spillover of West Caucasian Bat Lyssavirus (WCBV) in a Domestic Cat and Westward Expansion in the Palearctic Region. Viruses 2021, 13, 2064. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13102064
4. Festa, F., Ancillotto, L., Santini, L., Pacifici, M., Rocha, R., Toshkova, N., Amorim, F., Benítez-López, A., Domer, A., Hamidović, D., Kramer-Schadt, S., Mathews, F., Radchuk, V., Rebelo, H., Ruczynski, I., Solem, E., Tsoar, A., Russo, D. and Razgour, O. (2023), Bat responses to climate change: a systematic review. Biol Rev, 98: 19-33. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12893
5. Czenze, Z. J., Noakes, M. J., & Wojciechowski, M. S. (2022). Home is where the heat is: Thermoregulation of European bats inhabiting artificial roosts and the threat of heat waves. Journal of Applied Ecology, 59, 2179–2188. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14230

Tutor: Prof. Sandro Mazzariol
mail: sandro.mazzariol@unipd.it