Diet of the fishing bat Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus) (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in a mangrove area of southern Brazil

Abstract

From January to December 1999, the diet of Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus, 1758) was determined in a salt-water ecosystem, by analysing the feces of bats captured in mist nets. Of the 61 samples analyzed, most contained remains of fish (90.2%), followed by insects (70.5%) and crustaceous (29.5%). The most frequent fishes species were: silversides Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825), anchovies Cetengraulis edentulus (Cuvier, 1829) and scaly sardines Ophisthonema oglinum (Lesueur, 1818). The most frequent insects were moths (Saturniidae) and beetles (Cerambycidae, Scarabaeidae and Coccinellidae), as well as two species of bat ectoparasites (Streblidae). Among the crustaceous the shrimp (Palaemonidae) and crabs (Gecarcinidae) are was present. The consumption of fish, insects and crustaceans was different for the males and females throughout the year.