Foraging behavior of a desert dwelling arthropod-gleaning bat (Otonycteris hemprichii) during pregnancy and nursing.

The article examines the role of behavioral activities used by desert-dwelling Hemprich's long-eared bat in the central Negev highlands. Particular focus is given on whether females will increase foraging bout length from the first through the second trimesters of pregnancy and whether they will spend more time foraging during nursing than during pregnancy. The bat roosts in desert habitats and feeds on terrestrial arthropods. Findings showed that during the first trimester, the bats emerged from their roosts to forage earlier and they did not change their emergence time as nursing progressed.