Use of artificial refuges as a strategy for the conservation of bats

Abstract

One of the main problems for the conservation of bats in Colombia is ignorance about them and their ecosystem services. In this study, we aimed to contribute to the understanding and conservation of the bat fauna of the Pasuncha region (Pacho, Cundinamarca, Colombia) by making a species inventory, installing artificial shelters as a conservation strategy, and implementing education programs addressing human-bat interaction. We recorded eight species for the region: Artibeus lituratus, Carollia brevicaudum, Carollia castanea, Carollia perspicillata, Sturnira erythromos (fruit eaters); Glossophaga soricina (nectarivorous-polynivorous); Eptesicus brasliensis (insectivore), and Desmodus rotundus (sanguinivorous). We found C. brevicaudum, C. perspicillata, and G. soricina using abandoned houses as refuges and measured the basic population characteristics of the species at the Roble & Nogal reserve. Based on the biotic and abiotic information, we designed, built, and installed a bat box for fruit eaters and nectarivorous-polynivorous species. We also implemented an environmental education project focused on citizen science to encourage changes in the community’s perceptions and behavior toward bats whose results were reflected in a series of illustrative brochures produced jointly with the community.