Big brown bat plasma cortisol (CORT) concentrations by roost type

These data were collected in 2022 and 2023 in northwestern Pennsylvania. The study species is the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus; EPFU) with adults and juveniles of both sexes included. The research question for which these data were collected was whether or not roost type affects stress response patterns in EPFU. The hypothesis tested was that circulating cortisol (CORT) levels differ between EPFU maternity colonies inhabiting three different man-made roost types: barns, dwellings, and bat boxes. We predicted that bat boxes may be less optimal roosting sites and that this suboptimal roosting environment would be reflected in both baseline and stress-induced CORT levels significantly differing from those of bats roosting in the other types of sites. There was no significant effect of roost type on CORT concentrations (p = 0.376). However, there was a trend for an interaction effect of roost type and reproductive status. Blood sample order (first vs. second) and mass each significantly affected CORT levels. These results may partially explain why this species has seemingly thrived in human-occupied landscapes. This dataset also increases the known range of adult big brown bat CORT contraptions compared to previously published values and is the first record of baseline CORT concentrations in volant juveniles.本数据集采集于2022年至2023年，采集地点为美国宾夕法尼亚州西北部。本次研究的物种为大棕蝠（big brown bat, *Eptesicus fuscus*，简称EPFU），样本涵盖两性成体与幼体。本数据集旨在解答的核心研究问题为：栖息类型是否会影响大棕蝠的应激反应模式。本次检验的假说为：栖息于谷仓、住宅与蝙蝠箱三种不同人工栖息类型的大棕蝠繁殖群，其循环皮质醇（cortisol, CORT）水平存在差异。我们推测蝙蝠箱并非最优栖息位点，这种次优的栖息环境将体现在基础皮质醇与应激诱导皮质醇水平上，即其水平与栖息于其他两类场所的蝙蝠存在显著差异。研究结果显示，栖息类型对皮质醇浓度无显著影响（p=0.376）。但栖息类型与繁殖状态的交互效应呈现出边际显著趋势。采血顺序（首次采血与二次采血）与个体体重均对皮质醇水平存在显著影响。上述结果可部分解释该物种何以在人类活动密集的景观中蓬勃繁衍。相较于已发表的相关研究数据，本数据集拓展了成年大棕蝠循环皮质醇浓度的已知取值范围，同时也是首次记录飞行幼体的基础皮质醇浓度。