| Abstract | For urban areas to be suitable for wildlife, water resources need to be available and accessible and water quality can dictate whether wildlife utilizes a resource or not. In urban environments, water has higher levels of contamination that can negatively impact wildlife. Moreover, the impact of water quality on species’ presence has been explored, the direct responses of wildlife to water quality have not. To assess whether water quality influences the direct use of water by bats in an urban environment in Texas, we used thermal cameras and acoustic monitoring to determine whether water quality had a discernible influence on bat foraging and drinking activities. We found that contaminated water sources had >80% less bat activity, less foraging, and less drinking, as well as a 60% reduction in species diversity. Our study confirms that not all water sources present in an urban environment are suitable and, therefore, available to bats. |
