Preferential prey selection by Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) feeding on domestic herbivores in the municipality of São Pedro - SP

Abstract

In order to verify possible preferential prey selection by Desmodus rotundus feeding on domestic herbivores in the Municipality of São Pedro (São Paulo, Brazil), vampire bat attacks were surveyed at rural properties where domestic herbivores were being raised and attack frequencies of D. rotundus on the total herd and on different species were calculated. The analysis found that the most frequently attacked herbivores were cattle and horses. The chi-square test (χ 2 ), with a significance level of 5% corroborated the comparative analysis of attack frequency in properties that had these two species. Of the two, horses were attacked more frequently, which could be a sign that D. rotundus exhibits preferential prey selection when attacking domestic herbivores. This evidence is also supported by the Optimal Foraging Theory, in which the net rate of energy consumed is higher for horses than it is for cattle. Additionally, we propose that the thinner integument of horses (relative to that of cattle) may facilitate bites by D. rotundus and thus contribute to the observed prey preference.Keywords: cattle, horse, optimal foraging, vampire bat. Seleção de presas preferenciais por Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy,1810, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) alimentando-se de herbívoros domésticos no município de São Pedro -SP. ResumoA fim de verificar possível seleção de presa preferencial por Desmodus rotundus alimentando-se em herbívoros domésticos no Município de São Pedro (São Paulo, Brasil), foram pesquisados ataques de morcegos hematófagos em propriedades rurais nas quais os herbívoros domésticos estavam sendo criados e foram calculadas as frequências de ataques por D. rotundus no rebanho total e nas diferentes espécies. A análise mostrou que os herbívoros mais frequentemente atacados eram os bovinos e equinos. O teste do qui-quadrado (χ 2 ) com um nível de significância de 5% corroborou a análise comparativa da frequência de ataque em propriedades que possuíam estas duas espécies. Destas duas, os cavalos foram atacados com maior frequência, o que poderia ser um sinal de que D. rotundus apresenta seleção de presas preferenciais ao atacar herbívoros domésticos. Esta evidência também é apoiada pela Teoria do Forrageamento Ótimo, em que a taxa de energia líquida consumida é maior para cavalos do que para o gado. Além disso, propomos que o tegumento mais fino de cavalos (em relação à de bovinos) pode facilitar a mordidas por D. rotundus e, assim, contribuir para a preferência da presa observada.Palavras-chave: bovinos, equinos, forrageamento ótimo, morcego hematófago.

Susceptibility of targets to the vampire bat Desmodus rotundus are proportional to their abundance in Atlantic Forest fragments?

“…The diet of vampire bats comprises predominantly domestic animals, including chicken, bovine and equine cattle, and dogs, so that studies detecting the presence of wild animals are rare (Costa & Esbérard, 2011;Mialhe, 2014;Bobrowiec et al, 2015). Bobrowiec et al (2015) analyzed samples of 48 vampire bats (D. rotundus and D. youngi) in central-western Amazon using molecular data and native animal in the diet of the two species were not recorded.…”

“…Its diet is mainly composed of mammal blood, and it feeds secondarily on birds, and, eventually, human blood (Turner, 1975;Schneider et al, 2001Schneider et al, , 2009). Despite a good documentation of bats feeding on animals, in particularly domesticated animals, such as bovine cattle (Dalquest, 1955;Voigt & Kelm, 2006;Mialhe, 2014), the data on bat diet in natural environments using wild preys are scarce.…”

Influence of landscape structure on the abundance of Desmodus rotundus (Geoffroy 1810) in northeastern Yucatan, Mexico

“…This work was supported by funding assigned to Javier Laborde (INECOL/200030-10281), with which fieldwork of this project was carried out. CONACyT Mexico provided a Retention scholarship to Beatriz Bolívar (No. 2014 PCI-1054.…”

“…Several authors have documented that D. rotundus can inhabit different types of man-made habitats, such as agroforestry plots, silvopastoral systems, pastures and secondary forests, and the species has also been found in patches of old-growth or undisturbed forests (Kalko andHandley 2001, García-Morales et al 2013). Some studies have reported an increase in the abundance of this bat species in tropical areas of America, and it has been linked to the increase in the number of livestock herds available as its food source (Medellín et al 2000, Mialhe 2014, Bobrowiec et al 2015. The presence of D. rotundus has been constantly monitored through animal health programs because this bat species is the only known vector of bovine paralytic rabies and may cause significant economic losses (Mayen 2003).…”

“…In this scenario, the objective of the present work was to determine the effect of landscape structure variables, obtained from remote sensing analysis, on the abundance of D. rotundus. Because the presence of D. rotundus has been related with the increase of man-made pastures for cattle ranching (Mialhe 2014, Bobrowiec et al 2015, we predicted that the abundance of this bat species might be higher in more fragmented areas, specifically those with little forest cover and more surface area occupied by pastures.…”