Data from: Combining noninvasive genetics and a new mammalian sex-linked marker provides new tools to investigate population size, structure and individual behaviour: an application to bats

Monitoring wild populations is crucial for their effective management.
Noninvasive genetic methods provide robust data from individual
free-ranging animals, which can be used in capture-mark-recapture (CMR)
models to estimate demographic parameters without capturing or disturbing
them. However, sex- and status-specific behaviour, which may lead to
differences in detection probabilities, is rarely considered in
monitoring. Here, we investigated population size, sex ratio, sex- and
status-related behaviour in 19 Rhinolophus hipposideros maternity colonies
(Northern France) with a noninvasive genetic CMR approach (using faeces)
combined with parentage assignments. The use of the DDX3X/Y-Mam sexual
marker designed in this study, which shows inter- and intra-chromosomal
length polymorphism across placental mammals, together with 8 polymorphic
microsatellite markers, produced high quality genetic data with limited
genotyping errors and allowed us to reliably distinguish different
categories of individuals (males, reproductive and non-reproductive
females) and to estimate population sizes. We showed that visual counts
represent well adult female numbers and that population composition in
maternity colonies changes dynamically during the summer. Before
parturition, colonies mainly harbour pregnant and non-pregnant females
with a few visiting males whereas after parturition, colonies are mainly
composed of mothers and their offspring with a few visiting non-mothers
and males. Our approach gives deeper insight into sex- and status-specific
behaviour, a prerequisite for understanding population dynamics and
developing effective monitoring and management strategies. Provided
sufficient samples can be obtained, this approach can be readily applied
to a wide range of species.