Articles | Volume 26, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-26-223-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-26-223-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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08 Oct 2026
Standard article | Highlight paper |
| 08 Oct 2026
| 08 Oct 2026
Gut microbiomes of the little free-tailed bat (Mops pumilus) show high prevalence of potential bacterial pathogens but limited responses to land cover
Julie Teresa Shapiro
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
present address: University of Lyon – French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), Epidemiology and Surveillance Support Unit, Lyon 69007, France
Christopher Barnes
Centre for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn (Copenhagen), Denmark
Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Slagelse 4200, Denmark
Ida Broman Nielsen
Section for GeoGenetics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn (Copenhagen) 1350, Denmark
Linett Rasmussen
Centre for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn (Copenhagen), Denmark
present address: Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg 2000, Denmark
Ara Monadjem
Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni M201, Eswatini
Robert A. McCleery
School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
Anders J. Hansen
Section for GeoGenetics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn (Copenhagen) 1350, Denmark
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Short summary
The gut microbiome (microorganisms in the digestive tract) is important for the health of wildlife but may be impacted by human-caused disturbance, such as land cover change. Using genetic sequences of bacteria, we found that the gut microbiomes of the little free-tail bat (Mops pumilus) in Eswatini were highly individual and may have potential pathogens but did not appear to be influenced by land cover.
The gut microbiome (microorganisms in the digestive tract) is important for the health of...
