RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Immune-challenged vampire bats produce fewer contact calls JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2020.04.17.046730 DO 10.1101/2020.04.17.046730 A1 Sebastian Stockmaier A1 Daniel. I. Bolnick A1 Rachel. A. Page A1 Darija Josic A1 Gerald G. Carter YR 2020 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/04/18/2020.04.17.046730.abstract AB Infections can affect how animals vocalize and, hence, interact with conspecifics. While this effect has been shown for mate-attraction calls, other vocalizations that facilitate social contact have received less attention. When isolated, vampire bats produce contact calls which attract highly associated groupmates. Here, we test the effect of an immune challenge on contact calling rates of individually isolated vampire bats. Sickness behavior did not appear to change call structure, but it decreased the number of contact calls produced. This effect could decrease contact with groupmates and augment other established mechanisms by which sickness reduces social encounters (e.g. mortality, lethargy, and social withdrawal or disinterest).Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.