Diet, activity and reproduction of bat species (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in Central Amazonia, Brazil

Abstract

The diet, activity and reproductive patterns of several species of bats were investigated in primary forests of Central Amazon. Between August 1996 and August 1997, using mist nets set both at canopy and understorey levels, 936 bats, belonging to 51 species, 31 genera and 6 families were captured. Fecal samples from 35 species were examined, with four food categories and 25 food items identified. Time of captures indicate a wide variation, but the major part of the species presented a peak of activity around the first hour after sunset. Three reproductive peaks were observed: October-November; January-February; and July-August, but reproductive patterns varied among the families. The structure of the bat fauna in Manaus is similar to other sites in the Amazon and Central America, the main common points being: a) a high diversity of bat species, usually more than 40 species representing 6-8 families; b) 3-4 very common and geographically widespread species; c) most species are represented by a few captures; d) frugivorous species dominate the fauna and insectivorous species are less often captured; and e) most species cluster in 2-3 guilds, dominated by small (< 12 g) species

Coletar morcegos por seis ou doze horas a cada noite?

“…É descrito que espé-cies frugívoras e hematófagas têm sua atividade reduzida no meio da noite como forma de minimizar o risco de predação, podendo apresentar padrão bimodal, com um maior pico próximo ao pôr-do-sol (FLEMING 1988) ou, como observado em Artibeus lituratus, maior pico próximo ao amanhecer (BERNARD 2002). A relação entre a média do horário de captura e o total capturado após as 00:01 h demonstra que a atividade de espécies, principalmente as não insetívoras, pode estender-se por toda a noite.…”

Ocorrência de Glyphonycteris sylvestris Thomas (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil

“…No território brasileiro, essa espécie tem sido registrada na Amazônia (BERNARD 2002), no Estado do Paraná, Sul do Brasil (SEKIAMA et al 2001) e no Estado de São Paulo (TRAJANO 1982, PEDRO et al 2001. MARINHO-FILHO (1996) …”

Resources partitioning in a fruit bat community of the southern Atlantic Forest, Brazil

“…This is a well known pattern in bat ecology in the Neotropical region (Marinho-Filho and Sazima 1989, Bernard 2002, Aguiar and Marinho-Filho 2004, Ortencio Filho et al 2010. High activity before sunrise is common among Neotropical bats (Brown 1968).…”

“…For instance, A. jamaicensis (sA. planirostris) and A. cinereus were more active during the first hours after nightfall, whereas A. concolor was active throughout night (Bernard 2002 Sturnira lilium flew more frequently in the understory than canopy and fed mainly on fruits from pioneer shrubs of Solanaceae and Piper. Bats with smaller body mass and lower wing loading, such as S. lilium appear to have higher maneuverability in the understory than bats with bigger body mass (Norberg and Rayner 1987).…”