Ecological niche models have become very popular for analysing the potential distribution of species. Nevertheless, models are strongly influenced by many factors, such as spatial resolution, environmental variables and the quality of distribution records. In this paper, we evaluated how ecological niche models changed with the addition of records accumulated over four decades. Our model species was the stripe‐headed round‐eared bat (Tonatia saurophila). Thus, with data organized in chronological order, we could observe how the models changed in predicting distributions over time in comparison with all known point locations. We tested if partial models could predict the occurrence of new unpublished records for savannah areas in central Brazil, considering that the species is typically associated with forest environments. Our results indicate a high omission rate for models built with point localities from the 1970s and 1980s (58.5% and 50.0% of all known points respectively), and predicted that the species could occur in central Brazil. Although T. saurophila has indeed been recorded recently in central Brazil, it was found in places different from those predicted by the models using these restricted earlier data. Nevertheless, the environmental suitability of such areas is significantly different from sites largely described in earlier records from the Amazonia region, as shown by principal components analysis. We argue that populations of T. saurophila that occupy open habitats in central South America (including Caatinga, Cerrado, Chaco and semi‐deciduous interior forests) deserve further study at the genetic level to determine if bats in these very different habitats are taxonomically distinct from Amazonian populations. Our results also suggest that models based on very limited datasets for species occurrence can lead conservationists or decision makers to wrong conclusions.
Thyropteridae is a family of bats endemic to the Neotropical region, and Thyroptera devivoi is the only species in the family that occurs exclusively in forest patches within savannas of northern South America and north of the Brazilian Cerrado. Primary data on the species are still scarce. Therefore, in this study our objective was to fill knowledge gaps on geographical distribution, roost-use, and echolocation for the species. We observed a T. devivoi colony of 15 individuals living under a dead palm leaf. The bats used the leaf as a roost for at least four days. After capturing one individual, we confirmed the species identification via skull size and the oblong shape of the adhesive disk. The new record reinforces the association of this species with non-forested formations, and its occurrence mainly in savannas. Echolocation calls of T. devivoi are consistent with those known for the genus, with multiharmonic, low intensity and high frequency pulses. Despite these new data, more studies are certainly needed to enhance distribution data for the species, as well as to clarify the biological and ecological requirements of the species.
à Débora, que foi minha maior companheira durante esse tempo do mestrado. Obrigado por todo amor e carinho, e por ter me ensinado tanto sobre a vida e sobre os mistérios do universo. Aos amigos da vida, que me acompanham desde a infância, e não importa o quão diferentes sejam nossos caminhos estamos sempre conectados. Em especial aos companheiros Felipe Lenti e "Minu Grilo". Desde o começo da minha carreira, nossas conversas contribuíram muito para minha formação, e continuam sendo importantes até hoje. Desejo tudo de bom pra nós três nesses novos caminhos que a vida nos deu. Lembro aqui também dos grandes amigos e companheiros de tantas aventuras Vitinho, Lipe e Cadu, que teriam sido ótimos colegas biólogos, e que sempre me incentivaram muito neste caminho. Obrigado à professora Maria Julia, pela bolsa no começo do mestrado. Sua ajuda foi fundamental para a minha permanência no programa. Obrigado também a CAPES, que forneceu a bolsa durante o último ano do mestrado. Enfim, tudo isso só valeu a pena por causa dos bons momentos vividos. Eu faço isso pelo encontro com um bicho na floresta, pelo banho de cachoeira depois de um dia de campo, pela prosa com os amigos e com os nativos pelos interiores do Brasil. E por isso, os personagens mais importantes de toda essa caminhada são na verdade os ecossistemas, as paisagens, as espécies e os momentos bons que eu pude desfrutar durante esse período. Um agradecimento especial aos morcegos, por me deixarem invadir sua privacidade.
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