Frugivory of bats in a threatened semiarid region in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Fruit bats have a high seed dispersal capacity contributing to the establishment of numerous plant species. In this work we examined the frugivorous diet of phyllostomid bats in the Cavernas do Peruaçu National Park, north of Minas Gerais, Brazil, an ecotone region of Caatinga and Cerrado biomes. Four expeditions were carried out between December 2008 and November 2009, totalling 80 nights of sampling, to collect data and feces from captured bats. The highest number of fecal samples were provided by Artibeus planirostris and Carollia perspicillata. Four plant families were registered, the largest number for Cecropiaceae, followed by Solanaceae; Piperaceae, and Moraceae.