Host species and sampling location shape gut microbiota structure but  not predicted function in insectivorous bats from western Japan
The gut microbiota of bats is increasingly studied for its ecological and public health significance, yet factors shaping gut microbial communities of insectivorous bats in Japan remain unexplored. We characterised the gut microbiota of three insectivorous bat species (Miniopterus fuliginosus, Myotis macrodactylus, and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) collected from three sites in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. We further screened for pathogenic bacteria using species-specific nested PCR