The bats of Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil

19Citations
Citations of this article
66Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Rio Grande do Norte is one of the smallest states in Brazil but has a rich diversity of ecosystems, including Caatinga vegetation, remnants of Atlantic Forest, coastal habitats, mangroves and large karstic areas with caves. However, its chiropteran fauna is little known, and the state contains conspicuous gaps of information on the occurrence and distribution of bats in Brazil. In order to reduce this information gap, based on a review of scientific literature and regional mammal collections, we list 42 species of bats, including new occurrences for 13 species and discussion on their conservation status. Results show that more than half (54%) of the recorded species are phyllostomid bats, and about one third of the bats in the state roosts in underground cavities. The Caatinga harbored the highest bat richness in the state, including the occurrence of four vulnerable species (Furipterus horrens, Lonchorhina aurita, Natalus macrourus and Xeronycteris vieirai). The Atlantic Forest needs to be more sampled, including mangroves, coastal habitats and areas of Caatinga in the central region of the state (Borborema highlands), which are virtually unsurveyed. Although the recent increase of studies on bats in the state, future studies should complement conventional mistnetting with active roost search and bioacoustical records in order to obtain better data for unraveling the bat fauna of Rio Grande do Norte.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Vargas-Mena, J. C., Alves-Pereira, K., Barros, M. A. S., Barbier, E., Cordero-Schmidt, E., Lima, S. M. Q., … Venticinque, E. M. (2018). The bats of Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil. Biota Neotropica, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2017-0417

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free