Autor: Bernal Rodríguez-Herrera

Diversity of cave bats in the Brazilian tropical dry forest of Rio Grande do Norte state

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Caves are important roosts for bats in karstic areas and play a critical role in the protection of bat populations. In the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil, cave-dwelling bats are poorly studied. Moreover, the state contains more than 900 caves, mainly in the Caatinga biome, that may offer important roosts for local bat populations. Thus, to gain a first insight into the richness, diversity, and colony size of cave-bats in the state, we sampled 13 caves through active search and captures with mist nets. Sixteen species from five families were recorded, and the biggest colonies belonged to Pteronotus gymnonotus and Phyllostomus discolor. Furna Feia cave was the richest, with 10 species. Our results showed that Rio Grande do Norte is home to a rich and abundant diversity of cave bats, including vulnerable species like Furipterus horrens, Natalus macrourus, and Lonchorhina aurita. This study is the first to determine the diversity of RN cave bats, providing useful fundamental data for future conservation actions.

Morcegos cavernícolas na Caatinga do Rio Grande do Norte. As cavernas são abrigos importantes para morcegos em ambientes cársticos e desempenham um papel fundamental para a proteção de suas populações. No estado do Rio Grande do Norte, os morcegos cavernícolas têm sido pouco estudos, no entanto, o estado contém um grande número de cavernas (~ 900) que poderiam abrigar uma grande diversidade de morcegos. A fim de determinar a riqueza, diversidade e tamanhos de colônias de morcegos cavernícolas no estado, foram amostradas 13 cavernas durante três dias consecutivos por cada caverna mediante busca ativa e capturas com redes de neblina. Foram capturadas 16 espécies pertencentes a cinco famílias onde as maiores colônias achadas pertenceram às espécies Pteronotus gymnonotus e Phyllostomus discolor. A caverna Furna Feia abrigou a maior riqueza com 10 espécies. Nossos resultados mostraram que o Rio Grande do Norte abriga uma rica e abundante diversidade de morcegos cavernícolas, incluindo espécies vulneráveis como Furipterus horrens, Natalus macrourus e Lonchorhina aurita. Este estudo é o primeiro a determinar a diversidade de morcegos cavernícolas no RN a fim de fornecer dados úteis para futuras ações de conservação.

El uso de los parques urbanos con vegetación por murciélagos insectívoros en San José, Costa Rica

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Se evaluó el uso de hábitat de murciélagos insectívoros en cinco parques urbanos de San José, Costa Rica. Se realizaron 3 sesiones de monitoreo acústico durante 3 noches, entre las 18:00–19:30 h. Se obtuvieron 457 registros acústicos (402/parques grandes; 44/parques pequeños; 11/controles). Los parques fueron sitios de mayor riqueza y actividad que aquellos sitios carentes de vegetación (controles). No hubo diferencia significativa en el número de especies entre parques pequeños y grandes; sin embargo el uso difirió entre las especies significativamente. Los parques no sustituyen las condiciones de bosques naturales pero son importantes para mantener la diversidad remanente de murciélagos.

Use of vegetated urban parks by insectivorous bats in San José, Costa Rica. We evaluated habitat use of insectivorous bats in five urban parks in San José, Costa Rica. Three sessions of acoustic monitoring were carried out for three nights, between 18:00–19:30 h. A total of 457 recordings (402/large parks, 44/small parks, 11/controls) were obtained. Large parks were sites of greater richness and activity than those lacking vegetation (controls). There was no significant difference in the number of species between small and large parks; however, the park use differed significantly between species. Parks cannot replace natural conditions but are important for maintaining the remaining diversity of bats in urban sites.

Actualización de la lista de especies de mamíferos vivientes de Costa Rica

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Aunque Costa Rica es un país pequeño contiene una alta diversidad de mamíferos. El estudio de la mastozoología en el país se remonta a inicios del siglo XIX con la presencia de naturalistas europeos y los primeros costarricenses como Alfaro y Zeledón. A pesar de los amplios estudios realizados en Costa Rica aún quedan muchas especies de mamíferos por registrar. Prueba de lo anterior es la adición aquí de 11 especies de mamíferos a la lista nacional, totalizando 249. Los órdenes con mayor número de especies son Chiroptera con 114, Rodentia con 47, Cetacea con 31 y Carnivora con 24. De las 11 especies agregadas a esta lista, el 50% corresponden a especies descritas con nuevos reportes para Costa Rica y 3 son producto de la elevación de subespecie a nivel específico. El endemismo de mamíferos en Costa Rica se presenta principalmente en las tierras altas con 23 especies. Hace falta más trabajo de campo para completar el registro de especies presentes en el territorio nacional; sin embargo, es importante resaltar que no conocemos la ecología de un gran número de especies. Completar esa información, es uno de los retos más importantes para las generaciones presentes y futuras de mastozoólogos, no sólo en Costa Rica sino en el Neotrópico.

List of extant species of mammals of Costa Rica. Although Costa Rica is a small country, it has a high diversity of mammals. The study of mammalogy in the country dates back to the early nineteenth century with the presence of the first European and Costa Rican naturalists like Alfaro and Zeledón. Despite extensive studies in Costa Rica there are still many species of mammals to be recorded. Proof of this is the addition here of 11 species of mammals to the national list, with a total of 249 species. The orders with more species are Chiroptera with 114, Rodentia with 47, Cetacea with 31, and Carnivora with 24. Out of the 11 species added to previous list of mammals for the country, 50% correspond to already described species with new records for Costa Rica, and 3 are the result of the elevation of subspecies to specific level. The endemic mammals in Costa Rica occur mainly in the highlands with 23 species. We point to the need of more field work to complete the documentation of species for the country; however, we do not know much about the ecology of many species. To complete the information on the ecology of mammalian species is one of the most important challenges for present and future generations of mammalogists, not only in Costa Rica but in the Neotropics.