In the concrete jungle: the animalivorous bat Tonatia bidens (Phyllostomidae) recorded in the metropolis of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Most of the synanthropic bat species in Brazil are insectivores and frugivores. The greater round-eared bat, Tonatia bidens, is an animalivore, feeding on insects and small vertebrates, and roosts in tree cavities and rock crevices. It has been captured in forested areas of northern Argentina, as well as eastern Brazil and Paraguay. Despite their relative generalist habits and although T. bidens has been recorded in large forest remnants inside cities, we report here for the first time an individual found inside the garage of a house in an urban area of São Paulo city. We suggest that the lack of suitable roosting sites, rather than prey, is the limiting factor for the presence of this species in urban areas. However, this assumption needs to be investigated more robustly.