What constitutes the menu of Trachops cirrhosus (Chiroptera)? A review of the species’ diet

Abstract

Few data are available on the predation of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals by the fringe-lipped bat Trachops cirrhosus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Phyllostominae), in particular in Brazil, where ecological studies of this species are still incipient. This study presents an overview of the data available in the literature on the composition of the diet of T. cirrhosus, including data from a semiarid region. The first records of the predation of the anurans Corythomanthis greeningi (Hylidae), Pleurodema diplolister (Leiuperidae), Proceratophrys cristiceps (Cycloramphidae), Dermatonotus muelleri (Microhylidae), Pipa carvalhoi (Pipidae), Leptodactylus sp. (Leptodactylidae), the lizards Vanzosaura rubricauda (Gymnophytalmidae), Hemidactylus mabouia (Gekknonidae), and a rodent of the family Cricetidae are reported. Insects (33%) constitute the principal component of the diet of T. cirrhosus, while anuran amphibians contributed 23% of the items recorded, followed by birds (14%), mammals (10%), lizards (8%), and invertebrates (8%). This diversity of prey is typical of a generalist predator, which is relatively unaffected by seasonal fluctuations in the availability of prey. This is especially important in the semi-arid Caatinga biome, which is subject to prolonged periods of drought that result in a shortage of feeding resources.

The mammalian faunas endemic to the Cerrado and the Caatinga

“…Lonchophylla dekeyseri is endemic to the Cerrado (contra Leal et al 2013), and has been collected in the Brazilian states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, and in the Distrito Federal (Taddei et al 1983, Coelho and Marinho-Filho 2002, Aguiar et al 2014, Moratelli and Dias 2015, Almeida et al 2016). Additional specimens assigned to Lonchophylla dekeyseri exist for the Bolivian state of Santa Cruz (in the Cerrado), and for the Brazilian states of Piauí (in the Cerrado-Caatinga ecotone) and Paraíba (in the Caatinga) (Woodman and Timm 2006, Leal et al 2013).…”

“…Additional specimens assigned to Lonchophylla dekeyseri exist for the Bolivian state of Santa Cruz (in the Cerrado), and for the Brazilian states of Piauí (in the Cerrado-Caatinga ecotone) and Paraíba (in the Caatinga) (Woodman and Timm 2006, Leal et al 2013). However, the taxonomic identifications of these specimens need to be reevaluated based on the morphological criteria recently proposed by Moratelli and Dias (2015), who noted the following: “ We are not convinced that Lonchophylla dekeyseri occurs in the Bolivian savannah and in the Cerrado–Caatinga ecotone in NE Brazil.…”

Molecular diet analysis of neotropical bats based on fecal DNA metabarcoding

“…However, we also only captured a single Trachops individual, so we caution against overinterpreting these results. Trachops cirrhosus has previously been reported to eat arachnids (Bonato et al., 2004; Leal et al., 2018), though they are well known for eating frogs (Ryan & Tuttle, 1983; Tuttle et al., 1982). Our data are consistent with a previous report of T. cirrhosus feeding at a high trophic level as indicated by δ 15 N isotopes (Oelbaum et al., 2019).…”

Predation of Leptodactylus macrosternum (Anura: Leptodactylidae) by the Fringe-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in southeastern Brazil

“…The diet of T. cirrhosus has been reported to include insects, fruits and small vertebrates such as birds, lizards, and even other bats (e.g., Peracchi et al 1982;Bonato & Facure 2000;Rodrigues et al 2004;Leal et al 2018). However, the species is mainly known from its ability to catch and feed on frogs, and being capable of using prey-generated acoustic cues to discriminate among poisonous and palatable prey (Ryan & Tuttle 1983).…”

“…However, the species is mainly known from its ability to catch and feed on frogs, and being capable of using prey-generated acoustic cues to discriminate among poisonous and palatable prey (Ryan & Tuttle 1983). Although T. cirrhosus includes a wide range of items in its diet, few data are available on its feeding habits and the knowledge of its ecology is still poorly known, especially in Brazil (Rodrigues et al 2004;Leal et al 2018). Within this scenario, the goals of this study were to report a new predation event of T. cirrhosus upon the anuran Leptodactylus macrosternum Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926 in southeastern Brazil, contributing to the understanding of its trophic relations and natural history.…”