Sample collection
In 2018, we netted Tequila bats (L. yerbabuenae ) while they were
returning from a night’s foraging trip. A mist net was positioned at the
entrance of the roosting cave located in the Pinacate and Gran Desierto
de Altar Biosphere Reserve in Northern Sonora, Mexico. Bats were
immediately removed from the net and kept in a soft cloth bag until
processed (< 60 minutes). Animals were handled following
guidelines from the ASM for animal care (Sikes et al.2016) and local
regulations (Permit Number: SGPA/DGVS/06361/17). A single faecal pellet
was collected from the cloth bag and preserved in a safe-lock 1.5-ml
Eppendorf tube containing 500 µl DNA/RNA shield (Zymo Research Europe
GmbH, Germany). The tube was shaken to ensure the maximum impregnation
of the sample with the buffer and then stored in a cool place until it
could be frozen at -20°C. For the present study, we used samples from
eight randomly chosen individuals.
Mockingbird (M. parvulus ) individuals were captured between 2007
and 2008 at various sites across the Galapagos Islands. Birds were
trapped by using mist nets or potter traps. Faecal pellets from the
birds were collected in ethanol and stored at -20°C. Further details
about the capturing procedure are given in
Hoecket al.(2010) and
Štefka et
al. (2011). In the present study, we used samples from ten randomly
chosen individuals inhabiting the islands of Santiago, Santa Cruz, and
Marchena (Fleischer et al ., in review).