Renan de França Souza

Mammals of Serra da Bocaina National Park, state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil

Here we present a commented list of mammals registered in the Serra da Bocaina National Park. Three field trips (February, 2010, and May and July, 2011) were accomplished along the RJ-165 highway in the Municipality of Paraty, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Forty-eight species belonging to nine orders were recorded. The local mammal fauna could be considered diverse and rich, with some species regarded as biological indicators of habitat quality. Endangered and rare rodent species like Blarinomys breviceps , Juliomys rimofrons , and Thaptomys nigrita were captured. Road and hunting impacts on mammals are discussed.

Structure and natural history of an assemblage of bats from a xerophytic area in the Caatinga of northeastern Brazil

The Caatinga biome is restricted to Brazil, and its bat fauna is among the least studied in South America, with scarce information on species occurrence, distributions, and structure of assemblages. Moreover, most of the information available on bats from this biome comes from relicts of other ecosystem formations. From 2010 to 2012 we conducted bat surveys in different sites along the Serra da Jitirana, a xerophytic locality in the Caatinga of Piauí state, northeastern Brazil. We recorded 20 species in six families. Representatives of animalivorous guilds predominated in both the number of individuals and species. We speculate that the low numbers of frugivores is a response to the environmental constraints imposed by the drought. Along with an analysis of this assemblage, we also report here new information on roosts, behavior, and feeding items for several species about which little is yet known.

Karyotype of three Lonchophylla species (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) from Southeastern Brazil.

Abstract Lonchophylla Thomas, 1903 is a Neotropical bat genus that comprises 12 species, with little cytogenetic information available. Here we present the description of the karyotype of three species collected in Southeastern Brazil. Lonchophylla bokermanni Sazima, Vizotto & Taddei, 1978, Lonchophylla dekeyseri Taddei, Vizotto & Sazima, 1983, and Lonchophylla peracchii Dias, Moratelli & Esberard, 2013 showed the same diploid number 2n = 28 and the same autosomal fundamental number FNa = 50, in both Lonchophylla bokermanni and Lonchophylla peracchii. We observed that the karyotypes were also cytogenetically similar when we compared the studied species with other species within the same genus. It is therefore not possible to differentiate the species using only karyotypes with conventional staining. However, this information increases the knowledge of the genus and can be one more important character for a better phylogenetic comprehension of this taxon.

Seasonality and habitat influence on bat assemblage structure in an urban Atlantic Forest remnant from Southeastern Brazil

Abstract The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a severely threatened biodiversity hotspot and many remnants exist only as fragments. In order to understand how bat assemblage structure within a forest fragment surrounded by an urban matrix might respond to seasonality and different habitats, we sampled bats over 39 nights in the forest fragment of Gericinó-Mendanha Massif, Rio de Janeiro State. From February 2006 to January 2010, we captured 874 bats, belonging to 25 species and eight different feeding guilds. Frugivorous species were the most abundant, representing 83.33% of captures, and the gleaning insectivores were the least abundant (1.47%). We did not find changes in bat species composition between seasons, although capture rate was higher in the rainy season. However, we did find significant differences in species abundance between seasons. The habitat influence did not significantly differentiate the assemblages, but species richness was higher in the mature ombrophilous forest. The community composition indicates that this conservation unit is an important remaining fragment for maintaining the diversity and richness of bats, although it is possible that historical processes of environmental exploitation have already resulted in a loss of species.

First evidence of frugivory in Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae, Myotinae).

Abstract Background Myotis occurs from tropical to temperate regions throughout the globe, and it is the largest bat genus with more than 100 species. Most species are insect-eaters, but a few also feed on other invertebrates and fishes; there is no confirmed evidence of a plant item in their diet. New information During fieldwork in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, small seeds were retrieved from the feces of one adult female of the Black Myotis, Myotis nigricans—one of the most common Neotropical bats. In a germination experiment, 40% of those seeds grew into seedlings. Our findings are the first evidence of fruit consumption for any Myotis species. We reject a possible contamination because the cotton bag was never used before for bats. This study is the first evidence of frugivory in the genus Myotis.

Occurrence of Phyllostomus elongatus (Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1810) (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) in the Cerrado of Tocantins and a compilation of its Brazilian distribution

The lesser spear-nosed bat, Phyllostomus elongatus , is endemic of South America and in Brazil this species is recorded in Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Pantanal. Here, we present a new record for P. elongatus in the savanna of central Brazil, known as the Cerrado. In January 2012, five individuals of P. elongatus were captured and recorded in a limestone cave in the Aurora do Tocantins county, Tocantins State. Phyllostomus elongatus has already been registered in 32 locations and 14 Brazilian states, and their records appear to be associated with humid habitats and forested areas.

Diet of Tonatia bidens (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) in an Atlantic Forest area, southeastern Brazil: first evidence for frugivory

Abstract The greater round-eared bat Tonatia bidens has a varied diet, consuming mostly insects, although it also feeds on small terrestrial vertebrates, such as rodents and birds. In 2008–2009, we expanded the knowledge of this species’ feeding ecology by analyzing the diet of a T. bidens population in an Atlantic Forest fragment in southeastern Brazil. Food remains found in day shelters and feeding roosts included insects, birds, mammals and fruits. Insects, Lepidoptera, Blattodea, Coleoptera and Orthoptera, were the main component of the diet. There was a preferential consumption of the soft parts of insects and vertebrates, possibly because these parts are more easily digested and are the most nutritious. This first evidence of fruit consumption is also discussed. This analysis indicates that T. bidens has a more general diet than previously reported.

Myotis riparius (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Abstract: Myotis riparius is a vespertilionid bat commonly called the riparian myotis. It is a medium-sized bat, with woolly fur; color of dorsal fur varies geographically from a reddish to blackish tinge. M. riparius is widely distributed in the Neotropics, occurring from Honduras southward into South America to Paraguay, northern Argentina, and Uruguay. It occurs in rainforests, savannas, and open habitats, at elevations from sea level to about 2,000 m. It is listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Bat assemblage in a karstic area from northern Brazil: seven new occurrences for Tocantins state, including the first record of Glyphonycteris sylvestris Thomas, 1896 for the Cerrado

The Cerrado, the second largest morphoclimatic area of South America, has many limestone outcrops with caves. However, studies of the bat fauna in karstic environments in the Cerrado are scarce. We present an inventory of bats in a karstic Cerrado area in the Tocantins state. We used mist-nets to sample caves, savannas, deciduous forests, and periurban environments. We captured 516 bats of 30 species, revealing that the study area is one of richest for bat species in the Brazilian Cerrado. Seven new occurrences of bat species were recorded for the Tocantins state, and we report the first record of G. sylvestris from the Cerrado biome . We recorded 21 species simultaneously at one cave, Gruta dos Moura, which is the highest species richness of bats for a single cave in the Neotropics.