The long-snouted bat (Platalina genovensium) is an endemic nectar-feeding bat from arid regions in western Peru and Chile. In certain areas of its distribution, it is likely the only bat pollinator and seed disperser of plants, and it is currently highly endangered. However, some aspects of its ecology, diet, and pollinator role remain unknown, especially in the unique and endangered lomas ecosystem. We conducted monthly evaluations of bats and plants over 15 months in the lomas of the National Reserve of Lachay (Peru) by sampling in three different plant communities along the Guayabito gorge. We collected fecal and pollen fur samples from 16 individuals of P. genovensium and recorded the phenology of its potential plant food resources. We differentiated fecal sample components and then identified and counted all pollen morphotypes in order to estimate their frequency and abundance in the samples. We also analyzed the niche breadth. Our results showed that the dietary components of P. genovensium included nectar, pollen, fruits, and insects, and that it utilized the cacti community for feeding. Pollen of the genus Haageocereus (Cactaceae) was the most frequent and abundant resource recorded, which was available all year long; moreover, the niche breadth analysis revealed that P. genovensium has a specialized diet on the Haageocereus cactus in Lachay. Finally, we suggest that P. genovensium could serve as a pollinator for Haageocereus acranthus, Haageocereus pseudomelanostele, and Puya ferruginea (Bromeliaceae) due to the large pollen loads it carries and the specific placement of pollen on different body zones.

The high diversity of Peruvian carnivore species may pose problems when deciding to which taxa and topics new research efforts should be directed. In this publication, we evaluated the research effort made on each taxa -by assessing the number of publications per species-, point out the knowledge gaps that are important to the conservation of each species and present the first evaluation of research priorities for this group of animals to the country. We registered 145 publications about Peruvian carnivores made since 1943. The number of publications is significantly different between taxa, between subjects and between ecoregions where the research was conducted. According to the proposed priority scale, the species to be studied with greater priority is Nasua olivacea and the lowest priority is for Leopardus pardalis. The results of our study highlight the urgent need to conduct research on certain species of carnivores about which there are few published data, locally and globally, and which occupy a low number of ecoregions in the country. Both the scale of research priorities and the list of knowledge gaps presented here will be useful to guide logistical and financial efforts, for individual researchers as well as for private or governmental institutions.

Many development projects intended to exploit natural resources are occurring in fragile ecosystems, and therefore the need for sound biodiversity assessment and monitoring programs is growing. Large mammals are important components of these fragile ecosystems, yet there are few strategies that attempt to assess and monitor entire large mammal communities in relation to development projects. We propose the use of two indices applied within a framework of adaptive management. An occurrence index assesses the composition and distribution of large mammals at a site, and an abundance index monitors the abundance of large mammals over time in relation to development. We discuss the design, applicability and effectiveness of these indices based on our experience with a natural gas development project in the Amazon forests of southeastern Peru.

ResumenEn el presente estudio se evaluó la dieta de murciélagos filostómidos de los bosques montanos del valle de Kosñipata (San Pedro, Cusco). Las especies evaluadas pertenecieron a los géneros Carollia, Sturnira y Anoura. Se analizó la dieta en base a la presencia de polen y semillas en muestras fecales. Se realizó un análisis de la importancia de las plantas consumidas, la amplitud del nicho alimenticio y el nivel de superposición del nicho alimenticio. Los resultados mostraron que la dieta de los murciélagos está compuesta en su mayoría por frutos y néctar-polen de las plantas. Los principales recursos registrados pertenecieron a los géneros Piper (registrado en 23,08% de las muestras), Cecropia (en 21,15%) y Abutilon (en 13,46%), los cuales fueron los recursos más importantes para la comunidad de murciélagos evaluada. La amplitud de nicho alimenticio para las 6 especies analizadas indicó que son especialistas en su dieta en el área de estudio. Por otro lado, los mayores niveles de superposición de nicho alimenticio ocurre entre las especies C. brevicauda, C. perspicillata y S. erythromos.Palabras clave: Phyllostomidae; murciélago; frugívoro; nectarívoro; dieta. AbstractIn this study had been evaluated the diet of phyllostomids bats of the montane forest of the Kosñipata Valley (San Pedro, Cusco). The species of bats evaluated belong to the genus Carollia, Sturnira and Anoura. The diet was evaluated regarding the presence of pollen and seeds in fecal samples. Also, it was analyzed the importance of the plants consumed, the food niche breath and the food niche overlap. The results showed that the diet of the bats is mostly compounded of fruit and nectar-pollen of the plants. The principal resources registered belong to the genus Piper (registered in 23,08% of the samples), Cecropia (in 21,15%) and Abutilon (in 13,46%), which was the most important resources for the community of bats evaluated. The food niche breath of the six species analyzed showed that they are specialist in their diet in the study zone. The highest level of food niche overlap occurs between the species C. brevicauda, C. perspicillata and S. erythromos.

Con la finalidad de brindar una herramienta para autoridades vinculadas a la lucha contra el tráfico ilegal de fauna silvestre se publicó la Guía de identificación de fauna silvestre para las autoridades ambientales de Amazonas, San Martín, Loreto y Ucayali (ISBN: 978-612-4261-24-4). Esta guía representa una herramienta importante por lo cual la información transmitida debe ser lo más actual y fidedigna posible. Sin embargo, después de revisar la sección dedicada a mamíferos, identificamos diversos errores que podrían generar confusión y ser contraproducentes en la lucha contra el tráfico ilegal de vida silvestre. Aunque resaltamos la importancia de este trabajo, sugerimos precaución en la elaboración de documentos como esta guía con la finalidad de maximizar su utilidad para las autoridades que combaten tráfico de fauna en nuestro territorio.