Roosts Used by Sturnira lilium (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Belize1

Abstract Between 9 and 22 January 1999, radio-tracking revealed that nine Sturnira lilium (seven females, one lactating, and two males) used hollow trees (N = 5), vine tangles (N = 2), or the bases of palm fronds (N = 1) as day roosts near Lamanai in Belize over 43 roost days. The bats roosted in hollows of four tree species, and the roost entrances ranged from 2.0 to 7.9 m above the ground. Radio-tagged individuals returned to the same roosts day after day, with the exception of a subadult female that used at least three day roosts over the course of the study. In their day roosts, S. lilium were inconspicuous, difficult to flush, and easily overlooked. Radio-tagged bats usually roosted alone and emerged significantly later than bats without radio tags.