Roberto Leonan Morim Novaes

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.

Morcegos da Chapada do Araripe, nordeste do Brasil

A Chapada do Araripe e um planalto localizado dentro do dominio da Caatinga no nordeste brasileiro entre os Estados do Ceara, Pernambuco e Piaui. Possui uma grande variacao altimetrica, o que confere uma variedade de fitofisionomias e uma dinâmica ambiental distinta das demais areas de Caatinga. Com o objetivo de incrementar as parcas informacoes sobre a biodiversidade da Caatinga apresentamos aqui o resultado de um levantamento de especies de morcegos, realizado entre 2010 e 2012, em cinco localidades da Chapada do Araripe, nos municipios de Barbalha e Jardim, no Ceara, e Serrita, em Pernambuco. Nosso levantamento registrou 25 especies distribuidas em seis familias, resultante da captura de 201 individuos. A amostragem registrou quatro novas ocorrencias para o Estado do Ceara, Sturnira tildae, Pteronotus gymnonotus, Cynomops planirostris e Promops nasutus. Uma compilacao da literatura revelou que na Chapada do Araripe ocorrem 49 especies de morcegos distribuidas em oito familias, o que representa 64% das especies de morcegos da Caatinga.

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.

Registro da Preguiça-de-Coleira Bradypus torquatus (Pilosa, Bradypodidae) em Três Localidades do Estado do Rio de Janeiro: Nova Friburgo, Cachoeiras de Macacu e Teresópolis

Abstract The maned sloth Bradypus torquatus is one of the most threatened species in Brazil. It is endemic to the Atlantic Forest and has a restricted distribution with few known occurrence localities. Between November 2009 and January 2010, we observed maned sloths in three new localities in the mountainous area of Rio de Janeiro State: Nova Friburgo, Cachoeiras de Macacu and Teresópolis. These new records confirm the presence of maned sloths in a large Atlantic Forest remnant in Rio de Janeiro State and highlight the lack of data on the exact range of this species. Intensified fieldwork on maned sloths will help increasing our knowledge on their population status and supporting future studies on the management and conservation of this species.

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.

Separation of monophyletic groups into distinct genera should consider phenotypic discontinuities: the case of Lasiurini (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Baird et al. (2015) split Lasiurus into three distinct genera (Aeorestes, Dasypterus and Lasiurus) based on tree topology and divergence times for the tribe Lasiurini. This arrangement has not been widely adopted by the scientific community and was criticized by Ziegler et al. (2016). More recently, Baird et al. (2017) reinforced the taxonomic arrangement of Lasiurini comprised by three genera. Baird et al. (2015, 2017) provided the most comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of Lasiurus and offer important insights on the phylogeny and alpha-taxonomy of the group. However, we disagree with the taxonomic arrangement proposed at the genus level and explain our point below.

Bat assemblages from three Atlantic Forest fragments in Rio de Janeiro state, Southeastern Brazil

Abstract Bat species richness in Neotropical localities is generally higher than that of any other group of mammals, and surveys of local bat assemblages may provide useful data for conservation management plans. Although the bat fauna of the Rio de Janeiro state is currently one of the best known in Brazil, there are several localities not adequately surveyed yet, and most of them are in the mountainous regions and in the northern portion of the state. From January 2008 to November 2009, we conducted surveys of bats in three localities in the state of Rio de Janeiro (municipalities of Varre-Sai, Sumidouro, and Cantagalo), and our fieldwork constitutes the first assessment of the bat assemblages of these localities. Surveys were conducted using mist nets in four different habitat types in each locality (forest interior, forest edge, riparian forest, and open areas [pastures]). We captured a total of 148 individuals in 17 species, 14 genera and 3 families. Among them, 11 species were recorded in Sumidouro, seven in Cantagalo, and nine in Varre-Sai. Although species richness was low compared with previous surveys in other close localities, we recorded species that have been rarely sampled in Southeastern Brazil (e.g., Macrophyllum macrophyllum [Phyllostomidae]). The results reinforce the importance of sampling different habitats in short surveys to improve the number of species registered.

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.