Marlon Zortéa

Bats have been recorded dispersing the seeds of 549 Neotropical plant species. Diet composition and the processes that determine resource selection are fundamental to understanding animal ecology. The present study investigated the feeding ecology of Carollia perspicillata in an Atlantic Forest fragment in northeastern Brazil. Fecal samples were collected by placing two plastic tarpaulins on the ground directly below the colony for 72 hours per month over a one-year period. Phenological observations were conducted simultaneously at the study site. Approximately 323,400 seeds were collected and identified, representing 16 plant species in 12 families. Four of these species were classified as synzoochoric, whereas the majority were endozoochoric. Seeds of five plant species — Annona montana, Syagrus coronata, Senna georgica, Aegiphila vitelliniflora, and Chomelia obtusa — are reported here for the first time in the diet of C. perspicillata. Three species accounted for most of the seeds collected in the cave: Piper amalago with 160,594 seeds, Solanum paniculatum with 79,322 seeds, and Maclura tinctoria with 60,691 seeds. Although P. amalago contributed almost half of all seeds collected, no significant seasonal variation was detected in overall consumption patterns, species diversity, or seed abundance between the dry and rainy seasons. The feeding patterns recorded in the present study appear to reflect resource availability in the study area rather than a clear preference for particular plant species. This apparent lack of feeding preference may be related to the ecological characteristics of the study area, especially the reduced diversity of species of the genus Piper.

In Brazil, three out four bat species from the genus Nyctinomops are known. Most of occurrences of these species are based on captures with mist-nets. In this study, we extend the distribution of Nyctinomops aurispinosus in Brazil, providing new records for the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso (1), Roraima (1), Pará (2) and Pernambuco (1). We also confirm the use of new types of shelter by N. aurispinosus, such as rock crevices in dryland environments and river boulders. We provide new fundamental information about the biology, behavioural and ecological patterns of this species.

Artibeus amplus Handley, 1987 is a little-known bat species endemic to northern South America. There are confirmed records of the species for Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname. In this study, we report the occurrence of A. amplus in Brazil based on the collection of two specimens captured in the municipalities of Cantá and Caracaraí in the state of Roraima. We also found a museum specimen from the state of Amazonas. The specimens were identified based on morphology and mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene analysis. After this contribution, the number of bat species in Brazil is 182. Surveys in other areas in the north of the country, such as the state of Pará, in addition to a comprehensive review of museum specimens, is needed to investigate the distribution of the species in areas where it has not been found yet.

The state of Goiás, in central Brazil, is covered mainly by the Cerrado domain, with the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest occupying its central-southern portion. Goiás is one of the 20 Brazilian federative units without a mammal checklist. In this study, we provide the first checklist of mammals from Goiás state. We recorded mammal species based primarily on the analysis of specimens housed in scientific collections as well as on literature with associated voucher material. We listed 191 mammalian species belonging to 125 genera, 31 families and 10 orders, which represents 25.2% of the mammal species occurring in Brazil. The most speciose orders were Chiroptera (90 spp.), followed by Rodentia (43 spp.), Carnivora (19 spp.) and Didelphimorphia (17 spp.). The following orders accounted for a smaller portion of the state diversity: Cetartiodactyla (7 spp.), Cingulata (7 spp.), Primates (4 spp.), Pilosa (2 spp.), Lagomorpha (1 sp.), and Perissodactyla (1 sp.). A total of 28 species (14.7%), mainly represented by medium and large-sized mammals, are nationally threatened while 12 (6.3%) are globally threatened. Our results indicate great portions of the state lacking a proper survey of mammals, especially the northwestern portion. We discuss species richness, distribution and conservation status of the mammals of Goiás state in national and regional scenarios. We highlight the need for mammal inventories based on complementary survey techniques with the collection of vouchers in order to provide karyologic, molecular, morphologic, parasitologic, and ecological data. These informations are the basis for integrative studies that lead to the understanding of current mammalian richness and diversity. Indeed, knowledge on species richness distribution in the state will guide conservation strategies, especially in areas undergoing habitat loss and fragmentation, such as the central-southern portion of Goiás.

Aim: Field surveys are necessary to overcome Wallacean shortfalls. The task is even more important when human pressure on tropical—megadiverse—ecosystems is considered. However, due to financial constraints, spatial and temporal prioritization is required. Here, we used the concept of environmental complementarity to identify non‐surveyed regions for bats that are environmentally different from other already surveyed regions. We highlighted regions in Brazil where field inventories could be conducted to locate new occurrences or even new bat species.Location: Brazil.Methods: We based our analysis on environmental characterization aiming to identify dissimilar regions to those already sampled for bats in Brazil. We used 21 environmental variables to characterize 1,531 unique localities where bats occur. Then, we applied the parameters of a generalized linear model (GLM) to extrapolate the expected values of the environmental variables for the entire country. We compared the predicted values of localities with newly described bat species occurrence against the values for other bat species.Results: We found that sites from which recently discovered species were described are environmentally distinct from the sites where previously described species occur. Therefore, new occurrences and even new species could be found in regions that are environmentally dissimilar from those already surveyed. By crossing the model with a human footprint map, we defined temporal priorities for field inventories. Regions such as the Northern Cerrado and Western Caatinga should be surveyed first. Similar approaches could be undertaken for other biological groups or regions, allowing the identification of spatial congruence and the development of a comprehensive national programme for biological field inventories.Main conclusion: Newly described species occurred in environments dissimilar to those previously identified, showing that environmental complementarity analysis is a valid approach to define priority regions for new bat inventories.

Desmodus rotundus (É. Geoffroy, 1810) feeds preferably on mammal blood, including livestock animals, such as bovine cattle. In spite of using native preys in the wild, records of this feeding activity are scarce. In the present study, we investigated the foraging activity of D. rotundus based on video footage from camera traps in Atlantic Forest fragments in southern Goiás State, Brazil. Out of 23 mammal species recorded in the study area, four had interactions with Desmodus rotundus (Priodontes maximus, Tapirus terrestris, Mazama americana and Pecari tajacu). The records were obtained from early night to sunrise. There was a correlation between abundance of potential preys and the choice of the target by D. rotundus. Most of the bat-prey interaction occurred on the edge of fragments. The present study records for the first time the potential use of the collared peccary (P. tajacu) and the giant armadillo (P. maximus) in the diet of D. rotundus.

Brazil’s large territory displays significant richness in caves with about 12 thousand caves already recorded. Nevertheless, studies on bats in these environments are extremely scarce and fragmented. This study characterized the chiropteran fauna from two sandstone caves under the influence of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam (Belo Monte UHE) in Pará, Brazil. The Kararaô and Kararaô Novo caves are located on the same ridge, 250 m apart. Three expeditions were carried out in 2013 and 2014, with a 4- to 5-month interval in between. A total of 589 animals were caught, 246 in the Kararaô cave and 343 in the Kararaô Novo cave. Fifteen species were recorded (13 in each cave) representing 79% similarity. With the exception of Vampyrum spectrum, which is not a cave species, the remaining recorded species were mostly cave bat species. Some species seemed to use the caves seasonally, although the basis of this pattern is still unknown. The most commonly observed species were Pteronotus personatus (dominant in the Kararaô cave), P. parnellii (dominant in the Kararaô Novo cave), and Lionycteris spurrelli, which accounted for 65% of all captures recorded for the two caves. Natalus macrourus is a species recorded in the Kararaô cave that is regionally threatened with extinction. Both caves are less than 500 m from the future reservoir; however, because the Kararaô cave entry is in an area that is lower than the reservoir, it can suffer alterations that would affect its dynamics. This raises great concern about the cave’s associated fauna.