بررسي سيكل توليد مثل خفاش انگشت بلند Miniopterus scheribersii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) در غرب ايران

Reproductive cycle of long finger bat Miniopterus schreibersii (Chiroptera Vespertilionidae) in west of Iran

Delayed implantation in bats is an interrupted reproductive cycle which provides a unique adaptation to seasonal changes due to climate & food availability. This phenomenon can give the bat with vast geographic distribution, the ability of performing different reproductive patterns. Delayed implantation has been observed in several species of bats as well as in the Schreiberʹs long fingered bat Miniopterus schreibersii in Iran. The 15 bats (8 females and 7 males) were captured in amidst cave at 15 km far from Kermanshah city in east of Iran during one year. The samples were killed and the reproductive and urinary systems were separated. The microscopic observations showed that spermatogenesis was occurring in summer and copulation was taking place in early autumn. The sperm storage was observed. In females, corpus luteum was observed in middle autumn and implantation were taking place in early spring. These findings together with evidence on approximate parturition time, provided sufficient information to construct the annual reproductive cycle for this kind of bats. The results show that the total gestation length of Miniopterus schreibersii in this area is 7.5 to 8 months.