Physiological and Ecological Correlates of the Cellular and Humoral Innate Immune Responses in an Insular Desert Bat: The Fish-Eating Myotis (Myotis vivesi)

The immune response is affected by aridity, but it has been rarely examined in desert-dwelling bats. For two consecutive years, we the seasonal variation innate of an insular desert bat, fish-eating myotis (Myotis vivesi), relation to its reproductive activity and ectoparasite load. We evaluated based on external morphological traits testosterone levels plasma for males progesterone estradiol females. injected phytohemagglutinin (PHA) into footpads bats estimate cellular response, measured bacterial killing ability (BKA) blood determine humoral response. Both hormone indicate that females were pregnant spring lactating summer, reproductively active autumn, when mating probably occurred. swelling female male was lower spring. BKA did not vary seasonally; varied seasonally only first year study, with values summer. appeared be early pregnancy, compared second year, advanced pregnancy. increased as body mass conditions increased, correlated or condition either sex. Ectoparasite abundance prevalence among seasons. PHA both sexes; females, inversely males. Of three hormones measured, response: higher had a BKA. Our findings responses throughout following pattern species. evaluation proximal factors affecting expression points potential immunoregulatory role sex mass.