Fernanda Gual Suárez
- PhD Student, Lab of Animal Ecology, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney
- Topic: Roosting preferences and landscape use of the Ghost Bat
- Research umbrella: The Macroderma Initiative
- Supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen (HIE); Dr Nicola Hanrahan (Charles Darwin University); Dr Kyle Armstrong (University of Adelaide); Professor Sam Banks (Charles Darwin University)
- Contact: Fernanda Gual Suarez
Bio
I studied biology at the Faculty of Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and I am interested in understanding how living things interact with their environment. This interest has led me to work with one of the most ecologically diverse and interesting groups of animals: bats.
My previous research at the Terrestrial Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation Laboratory of the Institute of Ecology focussed on the ecology of carnivorous bats inhabiting the Yucatan Peninsula (what do they eat? how do they use the space around them?), the migratory patterns of the lesser long-nosed bat between central and northwestern Mexico (how long do they take? do females make the journey every year? can we track individuals between mating and maternity roosts?), and the ecology of nectar-feeding and insectivorous bats in Mexico City (what is the status of these urban populations? are they using resources provided by humans?). These sorts of questions are important as we try to help these species, many of which are already endangered, survive in the face of rapid anthropogenic change.
Currently, I am trying to apply everything I’ve learnt at the Lab of Animal Ecology on a similarly threatened and fascinating Australian species: the ghost bat.
My previous research at the Terrestrial Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation Laboratory of the Institute of Ecology focussed on the ecology of carnivorous bats inhabiting the Yucatan Peninsula (what do they eat? how do they use the space around them?), the migratory patterns of the lesser long-nosed bat between central and northwestern Mexico (how long do they take? do females make the journey every year? can we track individuals between mating and maternity roosts?), and the ecology of nectar-feeding and insectivorous bats in Mexico City (what is the status of these urban populations? are they using resources provided by humans?). These sorts of questions are important as we try to help these species, many of which are already endangered, survive in the face of rapid anthropogenic change.
Currently, I am trying to apply everything I’ve learnt at the Lab of Animal Ecology on a similarly threatened and fascinating Australian species: the ghost bat.
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A Mayan temple home to woolly false-vampire bats (Chrotopterus auritus) in Calakmul, Mexico, and the Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, where female lesser long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) give birth after a >1,600 km migration every year. Photos: Armando Vega and Fernanda Gual Suárez
Research
The ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) is Australia's largest microbat and is carnivorous, seasonally feeding mainly on small vertebrates and insects over a wide area. Once more widely distributed across Australia, it is now confined to some northern regions and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with fewer than 10,000 individuals remaining. Populations are fragmented and continue to decline due to threats such as habitat modification, mining activities, invasive species, fences, and human disturbance.
Ghost bats depend on caves and abandoned mines that provide suitable environmental conditions for roosting. Colonies move between multiple roosts throughout the year, with some sites being especially important during breeding periods. Individuals can travel considerable distances from daytime roosts to forage in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, vine thickets, and arid landscapes.
Important questions with direct bearing on the conservation of this bat species remain unresolved, such as:
In my research, I will answer these questions using state-of-the-art technology, such as high-temporal-resolution GPS units, autonomous PIT tag antennas, DNA metabarcoding, and drone-based imagery and LiDAR. This information, within the larger Macroderma Initiative framework, will enable decision-makers, scientists, and industry interests to identify key resources and threats that need to be addressed to promote better outcomes for this species amid landscape modification.
Ghost bats depend on caves and abandoned mines that provide suitable environmental conditions for roosting. Colonies move between multiple roosts throughout the year, with some sites being especially important during breeding periods. Individuals can travel considerable distances from daytime roosts to forage in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, vine thickets, and arid landscapes.
Important questions with direct bearing on the conservation of this bat species remain unresolved, such as:
- What environmental and internal factors drive ghost bats to move between roosts at different times of the year?
- What influence do changing environmental conditions have on ghost bat foraging and behaviour outside of their roosts?
- How do ghost bats in the Northern Territory interact with cane toads after more than 20 years of their arrival in the area?
In my research, I will answer these questions using state-of-the-art technology, such as high-temporal-resolution GPS units, autonomous PIT tag antennas, DNA metabarcoding, and drone-based imagery and LiDAR. This information, within the larger Macroderma Initiative framework, will enable decision-makers, scientists, and industry interests to identify key resources and threats that need to be addressed to promote better outcomes for this species amid landscape modification.
Publications
- Gual-Suárez, F., Trujillo, L. A., Arroyo-Cabrales, J. & Medellín, R. A. 2025. Animal smorgasbord: The highly diverse and opportunistic diet of Chrotopterus auritus in southeastern Mexico. Journal of Mammalogy. 107(1): 123-134. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaf090
- Loeb, S. C., O’Keefe, J. M., Barclay, R. M. R., Bennett, A. B., Cable, A. B., Gaulke, S. M., Gual-Suárez, F., Kuczynska, V., Lausen, C. L., Pérez-Harp, S., Westrich, B. J. 2025 Question the Mark: A Review and Assessment of Bat Marking Practices. Mammal Review: 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.70009
- Gual-Suárez, F., Trujillo, L. A., Torres-Cervantes, J., Ordóñez-García, M. C. & Medellín, R. A. 2025. Guardians of the Mayan temples: microclimatic conditions of archaeological sites used as roosts by Chrotopterus auritus in Southeastern Mexico. Mammalogy Notes. https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v11n1.487
- Laverty, T., Buecher, D., Dalton, D., M. Davies, Gual-Suárez, F., Heady, P., Medellin, R., Ordóñez-García, M. C., Pérez-Harp, S., Rivera-Villanueva, A., Stevenson, B., Stoner, K., Wolf, S., Zamora-Gutierrez, V., Zavala-Norzagaray, A., and Frick, W. 2025. Long-haul flights and migratory routes of a nectar-feeding bat. Ecology. 106(3): e70067. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70067
- Laverty, T. M., D. C. Buecher, D. C. Dalton, M. L. Davies, F. Gual-Suárez, P. A. Heady, R. A. Medellín, M. C. Ordóñez-García, S. Pérez-Harp, A. N. Rivera-Villanueva, B. D. Stevenson, K. E. Stoner, S. A. Wolf, V. Zamora-Gutierrez, A. A. Zavala-Norzagaray and W. F. Frick 2025. On the Move: Documenting Long-Distance Flights of a Nectar-Feeding Bat. Bull Ecol Soc Am 0(0):e70016. https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70016
- Gual-Suárez, F., Ramos-H., D., García, F., Pérez-Montes, E., Narro Delgado, A. & Medellín, R. A. 2024. Ultraviolet-induced photoluminescent bristles on the feet of the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). Mammalian Biology. 104:751–756. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s42991-024-00441-3
- Trujillo, L. A., Gual-Suárez, F., Pérez-Harp, S., Medellín, R. A., & Schmitt, N. T. 2022. Uma rufopunctata (Yuman Desert Fringe-toed Lizard). Predation. Herpetological Review 53(3): 502-503. https://ssarherps.org/herpetological-review-pdfs/
- Trujillo, L. A., Gual-Suárez, F., Trujillo, R. E. & Medellín, R. A. 2021. Arachnids that feed on vertebrate carrion: necrophagy by the whip-spider Paraphrynus raptator (Amblypygi: Phrynidae) and its relation to the feeding behavior of the woolly false vampire bat Chrotopterus auritus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Journal of Arachnology 49(3): 407-409. https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-20-070
- Gual-Suárez, F. & Medellín, R. A. 2021. We eat meat: A review of carnivory in bats. Mammal Review 51(4): 540-558. https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.12254
Grants and awards
- Becas de Posgrado en Ciencia y Humanidades en el Extranjero 2026: for this project, 2026
- Western Sydney University Postgraduate Research Scholarship: for this project, 2026.
- Idea Wild Grant, for the project “Connecting the dots: monitoring the movements of the lesser long-nosed bat in the southern part of its migratory path”, awarded December 2024.
- The Explorers Club Exploration Fund Grant, for the project “Connecting the dots: monitoring the movements of the lesser long-nosed bat in the southern part of its migratory path”, awarded March 2024.
- Arnulfo Medina Fitoria Award to the best bachelor-level oral presentation at the III COLAM (III Latin American and Caribbean Bat Congress) in Mérida, Mexico, September 2022.