Bat-species richness in the Pantanal floodplain and its surrounding uplands

Abstract

We studied the bat fauna of the Pantanal floodplain and its surrounding plateaus in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, based on the scientific collection at Universidade Anhanguera -Uniderp and on the Projeto Morcegos do Pantanal data bank at UFMS, comprising 9,037 captures of 56 species recorded from 1994 to 2007. The Pantanal surveys were carried out in the Nhecolândia, Aquidauana, Miranda, and Paraguai sub-regions; the uplands surveys took place in the Maracaju, Bodoquena, and Urucum formations. Bat specimens were mist-netted over 376 nights in 35 sites, predominantly near fruiting trees, bat shelters, and forest patches. In the floodplain 46 species were recorded (n = 6,292 individuals), and 44 species were found in the uplands (n = 2,745 individuals). Six families were recorded: Phyllostomidae (30 species), Molossidae (12 species), Verpertilionidae (nine species) Noctilionidae (two species), Emballorunidae (two species) and Mormoopidae (one species). The bat fauna was predominantly composed of insectivore (32) and frugivore (15) species. The frugivorous Artibeus planirostris (n = 3,101 individuals) was the commonest species in floodplain and uplands. Other common species were Myotis nigricans (n = 762), Molossus molossus (n = 692), Noctilio albiventris (n = 681), Platyrrhinus lineatus (n = 633), Sturnira lilium (n = 461), Carollia perspicillata (n = 451), Glossophaga soricina (n = 436), Artibeus lituratus (n = 320), and Desmodus rotundus (n = 281). In the floodplain there were three insectivores among the most common species, contrasting with the uplands dominated by the frugivores. The diversity for the 35 sites assembled (H' = 2.5) is comparable to that recorded for tropical forests. The bat fauna presented here represents 34% of the Brazilian bat species, and 62% of species reported for the Upper Paraguay River Basin. Additionally, five species are reported for the first time in Mato Grosso do Sul.Keywords: bats, biodiversity, Chiroptera, habitats, Pantanal. Riqueza de espécies de morcegos no Pantanal e no planalto em seu entorno ResumoEstudamos a fauna de morcegos na planície do Pantanal e nos planaltos de entorno no Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, com base na coleção científica da Universidade Anhanguera -Uniderp e no banco de dados do Projeto Morcegos do Pantanal, UFMS, incluindo 9.037 capturas de 56 espécies, entre 1994 e 2007. Amostragens no Pantanal foram feitas nas sub-regiões da Nhecolândia, Aquidauana, Miranda e Paraguai; no planalto as amostragens foram realizadas nas formações de Maracaju, Bodoquena e Urucum. Espécies de morcegos foram registradas ao longo de 376 noites em 35 sítios, predominantemente com o uso de redes de neblina próximas a árvores frutíferas, abrigos e florestas. Na planície, foram registradas 46 espécies (n = 6.292 indivíduos) e no planalto 44 espécies (n = 2.745 indivíduos). Seis famílias foram encontradas: Phyllostomidae (30 espécies), Molossidae (12 espécies), Verpertilionidae (nove espécies), Noctilionidae (duas espécies), Emballorunidae (duas espécies) e Mormoopidae (uma ...

Bat assemblages in conservation areas of a metropolitan region in Southeastern Brazil, including an important karst habitat

“…The numerical predominance of individuals and species of phyllostomid bats, as observed in this study, is a common pattern in the Neotropics (Kalko and Handley, 2001;Bernard and Fenton, 2002;Falcão et al, 2003;Zortéa and Alho, 2008;Oprea et al, 2009;Alho et al, 2011). The most abundant species recorded with mist-nets were the fruit-eaters; Artibeus lituratus was the most numerous species at two of the sites, PESRM and EEFechos, while P. lineatus and A. planirostris were the most abundant species in Carste LS.…”

“…It is important to realize that at present, the factors influencing the distribution and species richness of bats are still poorly understood (Alho et al, 2011;Fahr and Kalko, 2011;Mehr et al, 2011). According to recent studies, land use, habitat complexity, and heterogeneity along biome gradients have been identified as important for determining the structure of bat assemblages at both local and regional scales (Mancina et al, 2007;Fahr and Kalko, 2011;Mehr et al, 2011).…”

Bat assemblage in savanna remnants of Sonora, central-western Brazil

“…The four nectarivore species registered in Sonora are common users of caves as day roosts, which seems to be especially important for L. dekeyseri and A. geoffroyi (Baumgarten & Vieira 1994, Coelho & MarinhoFilho 2002, Esbérard et al 2005. Insectivorous bats in Sonora are represented by few species when compared to sites in southern Cerrado or in savannas in Bolivia and Paraguay, where insectivorous bats predominate (Cunha et al 2009, Aguirre 2002, Willig et al 2000, Alho et al 2011, Zortéa & Alho 2008. Only one Phyllostominae insectivorous species occurred in Sonora, T. bidens.…”

“…In spite of bats have been increasingly surveyed in Mato Grosso do Sul (e.g. Camargo & Fischer 2004, Bordignon 2006, Longo et al 2007, Camargo et al 2009, Cunha et al 2009, Ferreira et al 2010, Alho et al 2011, there is a large gap of data in the northern Cerrado of this state (Bernard et al 2010). This region urges for biological inventories and conservation initiatives, because natural areas have been rapidly transformed into cattle ranches, monocultures, hydroelectric dams, and sucroalcohol facilities (Bernard et al 2010);(pers.…”

Expansion of the southern limit of Vampyrodes caraccioli Thomas, 1889 (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) and first record for Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil

“…(Passos et al 2010), which differs from other regions of Brazil, in which Phyllostomidae represents more than 50% of the total registered species (e.g. Esbérard 2003, Bernard and Fenton 2007, Alho et al 2011, Carvalho et al 2013, Felix et al 2016. The typical temperate climate in the southern region of Brazil can limit the occurrence of tropical bat species, specifically in the southern portion of the Atlantic Forest (Fabián et al 1999), where at least 24 species of Phyllostomidae have their southern limits of distribution (e.g.…”