Abstract
Despite being one of the most common congenital hand abnormalities in humans, polydactyly remains extremely rare in bats. To date, it has been observed only in two insectivorous families in North America (Molossidae and Vespertilionidae) and a single case for the New World fruit bats (Phyllostomidae). We report the first case of polydactyly in a European bat – a Myotis daubentonii (Vespertilionidae), with eight toes. The bat was found alive, hibernating in the Natura 2000 site (PLH080003 “Nietoperek”) in Poland.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the TOP Nietoperek Society, Ralf Gyselings and Luc De Bruyn for the organization and coordination of the hibernating bat census. We would like to thank the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gorzów Wiekopolski, especially Józef Kruczkowski and Grzegorz Karcz for all the help and good cooperation. We are grateful to Leszek Lisiecki (Museum of Fortifications and Bats in Pniewo, Międzyrzecz Community), Ryszard Skonieczek and Lubrza Community for good co-operation and help with on-site bat conservation. We are grateful to John Haddow for correcting and improving the English text. Finally, special thanks to all the volunteers’ help during the annual winter bat census.
-
Author contributions: LTA led the manuscript writing and interpreted the results. JJ, GA and TK conceived ideas and contributed to text and interpretation of results. GA did the map and LTA and JJ took the photos. JJ, MD and CM collected the data. All authors gave final approval for publication.
-
Research funding: None received.
-
Research ethics: We conducted the field work under the license (WPN-I.6205.30.2020.MG) issued by the Regional Director for Environmental Protection in Gorzów Wiekopolski. The permit was awarded to TK and GA.
-
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
References
Apoznański, G., Kokurewicz, T., Rusiński, M., and Górska, M. (2018). Changes in bat number in the undergrounds of Natura 2000 PLH 080003 “Nietoperek” outside hibernation season and problems related with conservation of the largest hibernation site of those mammals in Poland. Przeglad Przyr. 29: 47–55. [In Polish with English summ.].Search in Google Scholar
Bishop, D.W. and Hamilton, R. (1947). Polydactyly and limb duplication occurring naturally in the tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum. Science 80: 641–642, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.106.2765.641.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Borkin, L.J. and Pikulik, M.M. (1986). The occurrence of polymely and polydactyly in natural populations of Anurans of the USSR. Amphibia-Reptilia 7: 205–216, https://doi.org/10.1163/156853886x00019.Search in Google Scholar
Caire, W. and Thies, M. (1988). Notes on the occurrence of morphological and color aberrations in bats from Oklahoma, Missouri, and Mexico. Proc. Oklahoma Acad. Sci. 76: 75–76.Search in Google Scholar
Carstanjen, B., Abitbol, M., and Desbois, C. (2007). Bilateral polydactyly in a foal. J. Vet. Sci. 8: 201–203, https://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2007.8.2.201.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
Dalby, P.L. (1969). Anomalous appendage in Eptesicus fuscus. Am. Midl. Nat. 81: 243–244, https://doi.org/10.2307/2423666.Search in Google Scholar
Dunaway, P.B. (1969). ‘Perfect’ polydactylism in hind feet of a gray squirrel. Am. Midl. Nat. 81: 244–247, https://doi.org/10.2307/2423667.Search in Google Scholar
Galjaard, R.J.H., Smits, A.P.T., Tuerlings, J.H.A.M., Bais, A.G., Bertoli Avella, A.M., Breedveld, G., de Graaff, E., Oostra, B.A., and Heutink, P. (2003). A new locus for postaxial polydactyly type A/B on chromosome 7q21-q34. Eur. J. Hum. Genet. 11: 409–415, https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200982.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Gonçalves, F., Fischer, E., Carvalho, L.F.A.D.C., and Ferreira, C.M.M. (2011). Polydactyly in the largest New World fruit bat, Artibeus lituratus. Mamm. Rev. 42: 304–309.10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00198.xSearch in Google Scholar
Gugołek, A., Strychalski, J., and Konstantynowicz, M. (2011). Polydactyly in artic foxes (Vulpes lagopus). Turk. J. Vet. Anim. Sci. 35: 277–280.Search in Google Scholar
Herreid, C.F. (1958). Four-thumbed free-tailed bat. J. Mammal. 39: 587, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/39.4.587-a.Search in Google Scholar
Jennings, W.L. (1958). Polydactyly in the eastern pipistrelle. J. Mammal. 39: 437–438, https://doi.org/10.2307/1376160.Search in Google Scholar
Johnson, P.T.J., Lunde, K.B., Haight, R.W., Bowerman, J., and Blaustein, A.R. (2001). Ribeiroia ondatrae (Trematoda: Digenea) infection induces severe limb malformations in western toads (Bufo boreas). Can. J. Zool. 79: 370–379, https://doi.org/10.1139/z00-210.Search in Google Scholar
Kaliontzopoulou, A., Salvi, D., Gomes, V., Maia, J.P.M.C., and Kaliontzopoulos, P. (2013). Polydactyly in the Tyrrhenian wall lizard (Podarcis tiliguerta). Acta Herpetol. 8: 75–78.Search in Google Scholar
Kiesecker, J.M. (2002). Synergism between trematode infection and pesticide exposure magnifies amphibian limb deformities in nature. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 99: 9900–9904, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.152098899.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
Koford, M.R. and Krutzsch, P.H. (1948). Polydactyly in the Mexican free-tailed bat. J. Mammal. 29: 418, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/29.4.418.Search in Google Scholar
Kokurewicz, T., Apoznanski, G., Gyselings, R., Kirkpatrick, L., Luc Bruyn, L., Haddow, J., Glover, A., Schofield, H., Schmidt, C., Bongers, F., et al.. (2019). 45 years of bat study and conservation in Nietoperek bat reserve (Western Poland). Nyctalus 19: 252–269.Search in Google Scholar
Kunz, T.H. and Chase, J. (1983). Osteological and ocular anomalies in juvenile big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus). Can. J. Zool. 61: 365–369, https://doi.org/10.1139/z83-048.Search in Google Scholar
Lazić, M.M. and Crnobrnja-Isailović, J. (2012). Polydactyly in the common wall lizard Podarcis muralis (Squamata: Lacertidae). Herpetol. Notes 5: 277–279.Search in Google Scholar
Malik, S. (2014). Polydactyly: phenotypes, genetics and classification. Clin. Genet. 85: 203–212, https://doi.org/10.1111/cge.12276.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Pekins, C.E. (2009). Polydactyly in the cave myotis (Myotis velifer) in North-Central Texas. SW. Nat. 54: 222–225, https://doi.org/10.1894/clg-13.1.Search in Google Scholar
Robert, F.O., Waritimi, G., and Dare, N. (2018). The prevalence of polydactyly in the Southern Ijawas of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Int. J. Basic Appl. Innovat. Res. 7: 29–34.Search in Google Scholar
Rogowska, K. and Kokurewicz, T. (2007). The longest migrations of three bat species to the „Nietoper[1]ek” bat reserve (Western Poland). Berichte der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft der Oberlausitz, Supplement zu Band 15: 53–60.Search in Google Scholar
Russell, L.B. (1950). X-ray induced developmental abnormalities in the mouse and their use in the analysis of embryological patterns. I. External and gross visceral damage. J. Exp. Zool. 114: 545–602, https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.1401140307.Search in Google Scholar
Sakai, W.H. (2006). Polydactyly in a vaux’s swift. Wilson J. Ornithol. 118: 424–426, https://doi.org/10.1676/05-090.1.Search in Google Scholar
Trinkaus, K., Müller, F., and Kaleta, E. (1999). Polydaktylie bei einem Turmfalken (Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus Linné, 1758) — ein Fallbericht. Z. Jagdwiss. 45: 66–72, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02240721.Search in Google Scholar
Vyas, R. (2018). Short communications case of polydactyly limb in juvenile mugger crocodyile (Crocodylus palustris). Russ. J. Herpetol. 25: 139–142, https://doi.org/10.17161/randa.v25i1.14221.Search in Google Scholar
Yadav, J.S., Kler, R.S., and Yadav, A.S. (1994). Occurance of polydactyly/synpolydactyly in six families of five endogamous groups from Northern Haryana. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 64: 275–286.Search in Google Scholar
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston