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Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat) has recently suffered a >90% decline in population size in North America due to white-nose syndrome (WNS). We assessed genetic diversity, population structure, current effective population size, and demographic history of M. septentrionalis distributed across the United States to determine baseline levels pre-WNS. We analyzed RADseq data from 81 individuals from Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Additionally, we examined population genetic structure using discriminant analysis of principal components, fastStructure, and STRUCTURE. We then estimated effective population size and demographic history using fastsimcoal2. Similar levels of genetic diversity were found across all samples. We found no population genetic structure in the varied analyses from these contemporary samples. The best model for demographic history estimated a rapid population expansion followed by a slower expansion approximately 340,000 years ago. The vagility of M. septentrionalis , along with male dispersal and random mating, may provide a buffer against serious bottleneck effects stemming from rapid population declines due to WNS. This research provides a baseline for tracking and monitoring the influence of WNS on genetic diversity such as potential reduced diversity or increased population structuring in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing reproductive patterns can provide important insights into the ecology of organisms that can ultimately be used to conserve and manage species. Unfortunately, for many Neotropical bat species, little is known regarding reproductive patterns, let alone geographic variation in such important life history characteristics. We describe reproductive patterns for three species of bats (Artibeus lituruatus, Sturnira lilium, and Pygoderma bilabiatum) from the interior Atlantic Forest of Paraguay. For all three species, females exhibited synchronous, seasonally bimodal polyestry, and males, while not as conspicuous, also exhibited two reproductive peaks. Pronounced seasonality in the interior Atlantic Forest may cause not only synchrony of reproduction within species but also the appearance of synchrony among species because of the curtailment of reproduction to only a portion of the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change may diminish biodiversity; thus, it is urgent to predict how species’ ranges may shift in the future by integrating multiple factors involving more taxa. Bats are particularly sensitive to climate change due to their high surface‐to‐volume ratio. However, few studies have considered geographic variables associated with roost availability and even fewer have linked the distributions of bats to their thermoregulation and energy regulation traits. We used species distribution models to predict the potential distributions of 12 bat species in China under current and future greenhouse gas emission scenarios (SSP1‐2.6 and SSP5‐8.5) and examined factors that could affect species’ range shifts, including climatic, geographic, habitat, and human activity variables and wing surface‐to‐mass ratio (S‐MR). The results suggest that Ia io, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, and Rhinolophus rex should be given the highest priority for conservation in future climate conservation strategies. Most species were predicted to move northward, except for I. io and R. rex, which moved southward. Temperature seasonality, distance to forest, and distance to karst or cave were the main environmental factors affecting the potential distributions of bats. We found significant relationships between S‐MR and geographic distribution, current potential distribution, and future potential distribution in the 2050s. Our work highlights the importance of analyzing range shifts of species with multifactorial approaches, especially for species traits related to thermoregulation and energy regulation, to provide targeted conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungal infection causing white‐nose disease in hibernating bats in North America has resulted in dramatic population declines of affected species, since the introduction of the causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The fungus is native to the Palearctic, where it also infects several bat species, yet rarely causes severe pathology or the death of the host. Pseudogymnoascus destructans infects bats during hibernation by invading and digesting the skin tissue, resulting in the disruption of torpor patterns and consequent emaciation. Relations among pathogen, host, and environment are complex, and individuals, populations, and species respond to the fungal pathogen in different ways. For example, the Nearctic Myotis lucifugus responds to infection by mounting a robust immune response, leading to immunopathology often contributing to mortality. In contrast, the Palearctic M. myotis shows no significant immunological response to infection. This lack of a strong response, resulting from the long coevolution between the hosts and the pathogen in the pathogen's native range, likely contributes to survival in tolerant species. After more than 15 years since the initial introduction of the fungus to North America, some of the affected populations are showing signs of recovery, suggesting that the fungus, hosts, or both are undergoing processes that may eventually lead to coexistence. The suggested or implemented management methods of the disease in North America have encompassed, for example, the use of probiotics and fungicides, vaccinations, and modifying the environmental conditions of the hibernation sites to limit the growth of the pathogen, intensity of infection, or the hosts’ responses to it. Based on current knowledge from Eurasia, policy makers and conservation managers should refrain from disrupting the ongoing evolutionary processes and adopt a holistic approach to managing the epizootic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the frequency of infection by Trypanosoma spp. in bats captured in wild and urban ecotopes of the Department of Atlántico in the Caribbean region of Colombia, between March 2021 and May 2022. The bats were taxonomically identified and sex, relative age and reproductive conditions were determined. A blood sample was used for parasitological analysis and DNA extraction in order to amplify a region of the 18S rRNA. The most abundant families among the 125 captured bats were Molossidae (62/125; 49.6%) and Phyllostomidae (43/125; 34.4%). Molossus molossus captured in wild ecotopes showed an infection rate of 8.1% (5/61) and 4.1% (3/61) by parasitological and molecular analysis, respectively. In comparison, Noctilio albiventris captured in urban ecotopes showed an infection rate of 16.6% (2/12) for both analyses. These findings represent the first records of M. molossus harboring Trypanosoma spp. for the Department of Atlántico and N. albiventris harboring Trypanosoma spp. in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocular anomalies caused by injury, disease or genetic mutations result in total or partial loss of vision, which affects the normal development and behavior of affected individuals in their natural environment. In bats, these cases are rarely reported. In addition, it is possible that researchers occasionally encounter these anomalies, but they are not reported due to various factors. This paper documents, for the first time, an individual of Carollia perspicillata with an ocular anomaly (ocular inflammation) in the Republic of Panama, recorded in the Bunorgandi Private Nature Reserve in the Province of Panama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Caldasia is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

La presencia de anticuerpos del virus de la rabia en murciélagos de América se asocia principalmente con especies hematófagas, sin embargo, este virus también se ha detectado con baja frecuencia en murciélagos con otros hábitos alimenticios. En México sucede lo mismo, aunque no se cuenta con información actualizada de las especies que han sido contagiadas por este virus. Debido a las implicaciones de salud pública que involucra el tema, en este estudio exploramos cómo se relaciona la presencia de la rabia detectada con base en anticuerpos específicos y por la presencia del virus de la rabia en murciélagos no hematófagos, con el hábito alimenticio, la familia a la que pertenecen, el tamaño del área de distribución y el tipo de refugio. Con base en una revisión de la literatura científica publicada de 1954 a 2015, se registraron siete familias, 24 géneros y 40 especies de murciélagos no hematófagos con el virus de la rabia en México. La mayoría son de hábitos insectívoros (63%) y pertenecen a las familias Phyllostomidae y Vespertilionidae (68%). La presencia de rabia se relaciona positiva y significativamente con el número de especies por familia (r = 0.9, p < 0.005) y el tipo de hábito alimenticio (r = 0.97, p < 0.002) pero no se relaciona con el tamaño de su área de distribución (r = 0.2, p = 0.2). Los casos de rabia en especies no hematófagas en México son escasos, y no representan un riesgo de transmisión al humano.

We present a list of bats collected above 2000 meters in Río Abiseo National Park. Sixteen bat species belonging to the Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae families were collected during four expeditions between 1987 and 1990. Twelve species were found within expected altitudinal ranges, but four exceeded their previously reported maximum altitudinal ranges. A comparison with other bat lists from other localities at similar altitudes is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative neurobiology allows us to investigate relationships between phylogeny and the brain and understand the evolution of traits. Bats constitute an attractive group of mammalian species for comparative studies, given their large diversity in behavioural phenotypes, brain morphology, and array of specialised traits. Currently, the order Chiroptera contains over 1,450 species within 21 families and spans ca. 65 million years of evolution. To date, 194 Neotropical bat species (ca. 13% of the total number of species around the world) have been recorded in Central America. This study includes qualitative and quantitative macromorphological descriptions of the brains of 12 species from six families of Neotropical bats. These analyses, which include histological neuronal staining of two species from different families (Phyllostomus hastatus and Saccopteryx bilineata), show substantial diversity in brain macromorphology including brain shape and size, exposure of mesencephalic regions, and cortical and cerebellar fissure depth. Brain macromorphology can in part be explained by phylogeny as species within the same family are more similar to each other. However, macromorphology cannot be explained by evolutionary time alone as brain differences between some phyllostomid bats are larger than between species from the family Emballonuridae despite being of comparable diverging distances in the phylogenetic tree. This suggests that faster evolutionary changes in brain morphology occurred in phyllostomids — although a larger number of species needs to be studied to confirm this. Our results show the rich diversity in brain morphology that bats provide for comparative and evolutionary studies. La neurobiología comparativa nos permite investigar las relaciones entre filogenia y el cerebro, y comprender la evolución de rasgos. Los murciélagos constituyen un grupo atractivo de especies de mamíferos para estudios comparativos, dada su gran diversidad en fenotipos de comportamiento, morfología cerebral y variedad de rasgos especializados. Actualmente, el orden de murciélagos Chiroptera contiene más de 1,450 especies a lo largo de 21 familias y abarcando ca. 65 millones de años de evolución. 194 especies de murciélagos Neotropicales han sido registrados en América Central en la actualidad. Este estudio incluye descripciones macromorfológicas cualitativas y cuantitativas de cerebros de doce especies de seis familias de murciélagos Neotropicales. Estos análisis, que incluyen tinción neuronal usando una técnica histológica en dos especies de diferentes familias (Phyllostomus hastatus y Saccopteryx bilineata), muestran una diversidad sustancial en la macromorfología cerebral, incluida la forma y el tamaño del cerebro, la exposición de las regiones mesencefálicas y la profundidad de las fisuras corticales y cerebelosas. La macromorfología del cerebro puede explicarse en parte por la filogenia, ya que las especies dentro de la misma familia son más similares entre sí. Sin embargo, la macromorfología no puede explicarse solo por el tiempo evolutivo, ya que entre algunas especies de murciélagos filostómidos hay mayores diferencias que entre especies de la familia Emballonuridae, a pesar de tener distancias divergentes comparables en el árbol filogenético. Esto sugiere que se produjeron cambios evolutivos más rápidos en la morfología del cerebro en filostómidos, aunque para confirmar esto es necesario estudiar un mayor número de especies. Nuestros resultados muestran la gran diversidad en la morfología del cerebro que proporcionan los murciélagos para estudios comparativos y evolutivos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The patterns of recovery from injury or infection are not well studied in free-ranging animals. Bats that survive the fungal disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) often emerge from hibernation suffering from skin infections and wing damage. The extent of wing damage reflects physiological and immunological responses to WNS and may impact the ability of bats to fly, forage, and reproduce. Here, we built on previous studies of wing damage in both captive and free-ranging bats to better understand the patterns and extent of wing damage healing in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) post-hibernation. We quantified two main types of wing damage, black necrotic dots and white spots, and used the extent of damage to assign bats 1 of 6 wing damage scores. We found that the patterns of black dots and white spots on wing membranes of free-ranging bats aligned with the patterns observed in captive bats soon after emergence from hibernation. Black dot extent was highest at the beginning of the active season in May, while white spot extent peaked 3–4 weeks later. Our study also extends our knowledge of wing damage healing throughout the active season. Wing scores of bats recaptured within the summer decreased or stayed the same and >95% had negligible signs of wing damage by August. We found that black dots were more indicative of disease status than other types of wing damage and could be consistently quantified in the field and from photographs by multiple observers. These results suggest that black dots and our wing damage scoring system can be used to better understand the patterns of post-hibernation healing in little brown bats impacted by WNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La descripción de señales de ecolocalización de las especies de murciélagos neotropicales, validadas con especímenes testigo, es vital para generar de llamadas de referencia. En Colombia, documentar las llamadas de ecolocalización es una tarea urgente que puede contribuir a entender la presencia de muchas especies de difícil registro. En esta nota hacemos una descripción de las señales de ecolocalización de Histiotus colombiae a partir de individuos grabados en vuelo libre fuera de un refugio en el municipio de Guachetá, departamento de Cundinamarca, Colombia. Obtuvimos siete grabaciones de H. colombiae. Las señales de ecolocalización se caracterizan por presentar un diseño de barrido de frecuencia modulada descendente con un componente de frecuencia cuasi constante, en un rango de frecuencias entre 20 KHz y 40 KHz.

Las anomalías oculares causadas debido a lesiones, enfermedades o mutaciones genéticas generan la pérdida total o parcial de la visión, lo cual afecta el desarrollo y comportamiento normal de los individuos afectados en su entorno natural. En murciélagos, estos casos raramente son reportados. Además, es posible que en ocasiones los investigadores encuentren estas anomalías, pero no son reportadas debido a diversos factores. En este trabajo se documenta por primera vez a un individuo de Carollia perspicillata con anomalía ocular (inflamación ocular) en la República de Panamá, registrado en la Reserva Natural Privada Bunorgandi de la Provincia de Panamá.

Circadian rhythms of bats are simultaneously influenced by both abiotic and biotic factors that vary across different landscapes. Since cities modify environmental conditions in which bats forage and roost, their temporal activity can be altered. Based on acoustic surveys, we described hourly activity patterns of eight aerial insectivorous bat species in an urban–rural landscape of Lima, Peru. We also explored whether bats show temporal partitioning at the assemblage level and, for three common species, if activity patterns change between landscape units (urban and rural areas) or moonlight intensity (dark and bright nights). At the assemblage level, bats displayed high temporal overlap, especially in rural areas. At the species level, Mormopterus kalinowskii and Tadarida brasiliensis displayed bimodal patterns at both landscape units, and Promops davisoni showed an almost uniform pattern or bimodal pattern at urban and rural sites, respectively. In rural areas, other bat species exhibited either unimodal patterns (Nyctinomops laticaudatus , N. aurispinosus , N. macrotis , and Tomopeas ravus) or a bimodal pattern (Myotis). Moonlight intensity had little influence on activity periods of most bat species. Our study provides valuable information for sampling designs and future studies on activity patterns focused on coexistence among insectivorous bat species in arid landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Cuba is verified the circulation of several flaviviruses such as Dengue, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile, Zika, among others. Viruses of the Flaviviridae family are the cause of diseases in birds and mammals, including humans. Bats could be important reservoirs of these viruses; several flaviviruses have been isolated from infected bats, including St. Louis encephalitis virus and Japanese encephalitis. In addition, 26 species of bats inhabit the island, of which 10 can use architectural structures as daytime shelters, so their colonies could be in close contact with humans. However, until date, few studies have carried out related to the search for zoonotic viruses in these mammals or their ectoparasites. The objective of this study was the search for flaviviruses in bats in a peri-urban area of the Havana province. Fifty bats were captured, 40 classified as Artibeus jamaicensis (family Phyllostomidae) and 10 as Molossus milleri (family Molossidae). Samples taken from each individual were studied by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nested (RT-nested PCR). The presence of flavivirus was determined in one of the captured individuals belonging to the species Molossus milleri. This finding reported for the first time in Cuba, is of great epidemiological importance since this bat is a synanthropic species, and therefore has direct contact with humans. The identification of the reservoir bat species could be an important advance to achieve an effective program in the control and risk reduction of arboviral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales is the property of Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Los murciélagos o quirópteros (orden Chiroptera) representan el 20 % de los mamíferos vivientes. Se han adaptado a todos los nichos ecológicos existentes (exceptuando la Antártida y el Ártico) como producto de procesos evolutivos que les permiten sobrevivir y reproducirse en condiciones muy diferentes. Además, los murciélagos son los únicos mamíferos voladores, lo que exige una alta carga metabólica y lleva a la liberación de moléculas genotóxicas y proinflamatorias. Sin embargo, los Chiroptera han desarrollado mecanismos para contrarrestar estos efectos dañinos que, paralelamente, se asocian con una vida prolongada, baja incidencia de cáncer y tolerancia a las infecciones virales. Los murciélagos son reservorios de una gran variedad de virus sin presentar enfermedad. Su resistencia a las infecciones virales se ha explicado por una tolerancia inmunitaria que permite que los virus permanezcan en estos hospederos sin causar daño tisular o enfermedad. La tolerancia se rompe cuando los murciélagos sufren estrés por alteración de los ecosistemas donde habitan o por reducción de sus fuentes de alimento, situaciones que ocurren generalmente por efecto antrópico. Los principales mecanismos de la tolerancia inmunitaria a las infecciones virales en los quirópteros son la activación constitutiva de los genes estimulados por interferón tipo I con actividad antiviral y la disminución de la activación del inflamasoma, lo que permite controlar la replicación viral sin inducir respuestas inflamatorias que causen daño tisular. El estudio de la tolerancia a las infecciones en los quirópteros puede conducir al desarrollo de nuevas formas de prevención y tratamiento de las infecciones epizoóticas.

We presented the first record of three species bats for Peru based on specimens collected between 2007 and 2014. These are Eumops glaucinus, captured in the rainforest from the center of Peru, Molossus bondae captured in the Pacifico rainforest, and Promops nasutus, captured in the montane forests from southeastern. The new records increase the mammal diversity of Peru to 579 species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant–animal interactions constitute some of the most important ecological processes for the maintenance of tropical forests. Bats are the only group of mammals capable of true flight and have been recognized as important dispersers of pioneer and secondary successional plant species. Although progress has been made in the study of Neotropical bats, morphological variation of the wing and its influence on niche separation between species is unknown. We evaluated relationships among habitat structures of selected Colombian tropical dry forest patches, the diet through interaction networks, and wing morphology of 11 species of bats in the Stenodermatinae subfamily (297 individuals) using geometric morphometry in a phylogenetic context. The results indicate that the phylogenetic signal for wing size is greater than for wing shape, thus providing some evidence for evolutionary convergence. Wing shape variation was associated primarily with the distal anatomical tip of the third finger and the joint between the humerus and the radius and ulna. Species with wide, short wings, as in the genus Artibeus had generalist diets and less nested positions within the interaction networks. In contrast, species with elongated and pointed wings, such as Sturnira and Platyrrhinus , had specialized diets and more nested positions within the interaction networks. We argue that wing shape variation may play an important role as a source of interspecific variation leading to food specialization within tropical bat communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presentamos el primer registro de tres mamíferos pequeños voladores para el Perú en base a especímenes colectados entre 2007 y 2014. Estos son: Eumops glaucinus, en la selva baja del centro del Perú; Molossus bondae en el bosque tropical del Pacífico, y Promops nasutus en bosques montanos del sureste. Los nuevos registros incrementan la diversidad de mamíferos del Perú a 579 especies.

Copyright of Revista Estudiantil AGRO - VET is the property of Universidad Mayor de San Andres, Facultad de Agronomia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

El seguimiento y monitoreo de poblaciones de murciélagos han involucrado con frecuencia el uso de métodos de marcaje inefectivos y poco seguros. Por su reducido tamaño, los transpondedores integrados pasivos (PIT-tag) permiten marcar especies de vertebrados pequeños de forma permanente mediante su implantación sub-dérmica. Sin embargo, existen escasos estudios que evalúen el efecto de estos dispositivos en murciélagos. Este es el primer estudio que analiza el efecto del marcaje con PIT-tag en especies de murciélagos en Latinoamérica. Evaluamos el efecto del uso de PIT-tag como marca permanente sobre la tasa de recaptura y la condición corporal de Myotis chiloensis y Tadarida brasiliensis en Chile central. Para esto marcamos un grupo de individuos con PIT-tag y dejamos un grupo equivalente sin marca en ambas especies. En seis campañas, entre enero y marzo de 2019, capturamos un total de 262 individuos, 176 correspondieron a la especie M. chiloensis y 86 a T. brasiliensis, con un total de 43 y 33 recapturas, respectivamente. El marcaje con PIT-tag no tuvo un efecto diferencial sobre la tasa de recaptura ni en la condición corporal de las especies de murciélagos. Aunque se requiere mayor investigación, nuestros resultados sugieren que el marcaje con PIT-tags es inofensivo y seguro para estas especies de murciélagos y puede ser implementado en estudios de largo plazo.

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Copyright of Bio-grafía. Escritos Sobre la Biología y su Enseñanza is the property of Universidad Pedaggica Nacional and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Presentamos los resultados obtenidos durante cuatro años de muestreo de mamíferos en diferentes coberturas vegetales del municipio de San José del Guaviare, Guaviare, Colombia. Entre los años 2012 y 2017 recolectamos información de la diversidad de mamíferos a través del muestreo con redes de niebla, trampas para pequeños y medianos mamíferos, cámaras trampa, observaciones directas, entrevistas e información secundaria. Reportamos 121 especies de mamíferos nativos para el municipio. Registramos una completitud del muestreo de 64 % para murciélagos, 60 % para pequeños mamíferos no voladores y de 100 % para medianos y grandes mamíferos. Destacamos dos novedades geográficas para los marsupiales Marmosa waterhousei y Glironia venusta, y seis novedades en los murciélagos Lonchorhina marinkellei, Phyllostomus latifolius, Glyphonycteris sylvestris, Glyphonycteris daviesi, Glossophaga commissarisi y Myotis keaysi. La riqueza encontrada es comparable con otros inventarios a largo plazo de mamíferos neotropicales, y presenta la mayor diversidad de especies de murciélagos y primates reportados en Colombia. Sin embargo, es necesario seguir realizando muestreos intensivos, ya que la riqueza de grupos como pequeños mamíferos no voladores y murciélagos está aún subestimada.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans and has led to the deaths of millions of North American bats since it was first documented in New York in 2006. Since the first cases were recorded, WNS has spread rapidly across North America and is now confirmed or suspected in 40 US states and seven Canadian provinces. Often, the presence of P. destructans is detected in a cave or hibernaculum before signs of WNS manifest in the resident bat population, making presence of the fungus a more reliable assessment of potential epidemic spread than expansion of manifested WNS. An analysis of 43 cave internal climates across the state of Texas revealed a pattern of thermal suitability for P. destructans that correlated significantly with landscape (elevation, lithology) and external climate (mean surface temperature and precipitation). We generated a predictive model to assess the potential spread of P. destructans through Texas karst systems based on external features that correlate with suitable internal climates for fungal growth. Applications of this model to external climatic variables from 2019 showed seasonally varying patterns of suitability for fungal growth in select regions of Texas karst systems. Results from these surveys and models showed that internal climates of Texas caves are likely able to sustain the growth of P. destructans and could cause disease and resulting declines in Texas bats, and act as stepping-stones for the fungus, allowing it to travel southward into Mexican and Central American cave systems. The resulting work will inform researchers and natural resource managers of areas of significant concern to monitor for the spread of WNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El presente estudio se realizó en la Estación Científica Pedro Franco Dávila, Jauneche, localizada en el cantón Palenque, provincia de Los Ríos. El principal objetivo fue evaluar el estado de conservación de la quiropterofauna en este remanente de bosque semideciduo. Durante la noche, se emplearon redes de niebla a nivel de suelo y subdosel con un esfuerzo de muestreo de 1533 h/ red, durante los meses de mayo a agosto del 2015; mientras que durante el día se procedió a la búsqueda de refugios. Se elaboraron curvas de rango-abundancia y acumulación de especies, y se calcularon índices de diversidad de Shannon-Wiener y de equitatividad de Pielou. Adicionalmente, se revisaron sus categorías de amenaza. Se capturaron un total de 46 individuos, pertenecientes a 10 especies, 7 géneros y 2 familias, la especie dominante fue Sturnira bakeri (29%), seguida de Desmodus rotundus y Glossophaga soricina, con 15% cada una, respectivamente. Saccopteryx bilineata se halló en un árbol de Ficus sp. (Moraceae). Los gremios tróficos identificados son: frugívoro, omnívoro, nectarívoro, hematófago e insectívoro. Los valores de diversidad (H’=1.98; J’=0.86), indican una media. Sturnira bakeri, Glossophaga soricina, Carollia brevicauda y Saccopteryx bilineata constituyen nuevos registros para la estación científica.

The information available on the geographical distribution of bats of Pteronotus (Phyllodia) (Chiroptera: Mormoopidae) in Venezuela is updated, as a result of the taxonomic analysis of museum specimens and the diagnosis of acoustic records. Prior to this work, three species of the subgenus were known in the Venezuelan territory: Pteronotus (Phyllodia) paraguanensis, endemic to the Paraguaná Peninsula; P. (Phyllodia) fuscus, with a wide distribution that covers the northern region (except Paraguaná), as well as the northern portion of the Amazon and the Guiana Shield; and P. (Phyllodia) rubiginosus, restricted to the south of the Orinoco River. A fourth species, P. (Phyllodia) alitonus, is included in the country for the first time, based on records obtained in the states of Amazonas and Bolívar. The morphological characters that allow identification of the species of Pteronotus (Phyllodia) that occur in Venezuela, as well as their echolocation patterns, are presented. The discovery of P. (P.) alitonus increases the number of known mammals in Venezuela to 405 (173 belonging to Chiroptera) and extends the distribution range of the species approximately 700 km northwest of the closest previously reported locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Zoologica Lilloana is the property of Fundacion Miguel Lillo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate change is among the key anthropogenic factors affecting species' distribution, with important consequences for conservation. However, little is known concerning the consequences of distributional changes on community‐level interactions, and responses by generalist species might have many ecological implications in terms of novel interactions with resident species.In this study, we applied Ecological Niche Models and niche analysis to three generalist bat species, Hypsugo savii, Pipistrellus kuhlii, and Pipistrellus pipistrellus, which share similar ecological traits and are sympatric in parts of their ranges. Our aims were to investigate how predicted climate change will affect species' distribution and to analyse the degree of climatic niche overlap between the three species, in both the current and the future scenarios (2050 and 2070; Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5).Temperatures were the most important predictors influencing species' range expansion in future. According to our models, Pipistrellus kuhlii and Hypsugo savii may expand their geographic ranges towards northern latitudes, whereas the geographic range of the less thermophilous Pipistrellus will shift northwards, resulting in it losing the southern portion in Europe. The already considerable degree of climatic niche overlap between the three species will increase further in future.On the basis of our findings, within the new areas potentially colonised by all three species in future, alterations in community‐level balance might occur, bringing about effects that are only partially predictable. In view of this, we highlight the need for further research and improved monitoring of bat communities in areas that are predicted to be particularly vulnerable to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En el Perú se registran al menos 180 especies de murciélagos. Sin embargo, son pocos los estudios acerca de sus ectoparásitos, dentro de los cuales destacan las denominadas moscas de murciélagos (Diptera: Streblidae y Nycteribiidae), en los cuales se estima un total de 158 especies en la región Neotropical. En el Perú, una de las regiones con menos información es la costa. En este estudio actualizamos el conocimiento de las asociaciones ectoparásito-hospedero en murciélagos de la costa peruana, una de las regiones ecologicas con más degradación y pérdida de hábitat. Se evaluaron cinco localidades en las regiones de Piura, Lima y Tacna. Se capturaron 85 murciélagos pertenecientes a 7 especies; 4 de Phyllostomidae, 2 de Molossidae y 1 de Vespertilionidae. Se encontraron seis especies de dípteros (Diptera: Streblidae) y un hemíptero (Hemiptera: Polyctenidae) y se reporta por primera vez algunas de estas asociaciones en las regiones de Lima y Piura. Se reporta también a Anoura peruana como hospedero de Anastrebla modestini (Streblidae) en una colonia reproductiva compartida con Platalina genovensium, y por primera vez para la región de Piura, el co-parasitismo de los estréblidos Megistopoda aranea, Aspidoptera phyllostomatis y Metelasmus pseudopterus en un mismo individuo de Artibeus fraterculus.

Estudiamos la diversidad de murciélagos en cinco diferentes coberturas vegetales del Caribe hondureño y nicaragüense: bosque maduro (BM), bosque secundario (BS), bosque ripario (BR), tacotales o guamiles (TG) y áreas abiertas (HA); determinando aspectos ecológicos y de conservación para todo el paisaje. Realizamos un esfuerzo de muestreo de 1.362 horas/red durante el cual se capturaron 2.170 individuos pertenecientes a 57 especies que representan el 39,3% de las especies de murciélagos centroamericanos. La zona evaluada presenta una alta variedad de ecosistemas, que albergan especies propias del Caribe centroamericano, incluyendo especies en riesgo como el murciélago blanco hondureño, Ectophylla alba, catalogada en ambos países como “amenazada” y a nivel mundial como “casi amenazada”. Las coberturas de BM presentaron la mayor riqueza de especies con 41, seguido del BS y el BR con 31 especies cadauna. Las coberturas de TG con 26 especies, y HA con 19 fueron las de menor riqueza. Esto es evidencia de la importancia de las coberturas de bosques maduros para conservar comunidades de murciélagos poco comunes o ausentes en hábitats muy fragmentados de Centroamérica.

The aim of this study was to detect vector-borne pathogens (Anaplasmataceae family, Rickettsia genus, and Bartonella genus) in bats from Misiones (Argentina). Thirty-three specimens were captured over 8 days using mist nets. Twenty (60.6%) blood samples were positive (11/13 Artibeus lituratus, 4/10 Desmodus rotundus, 4/8 Carollia perspicillata, and 1/2 Myotis nigricans) by PCR for the gltA gene fragment of Bartonella. All samples were negative by PCR for the Anaplasmataceae family and Rickettsia genus. The phylogenetic analysis showed seven Bartonella genotypes. The three genotypes obtained from A. lituratus, 2 from C. perspicillata, and 1 from D. rotundus were related to Bartonella spp. from New World bats, while the sequence obtained from M. nigricans was related to Old World bats. We identified a considerable diversity of Bartonella genotypes in a small number of bats, thus further research is required to better understand the complex bat-pathogen interaction., (Copyright © 2024 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Wetland areas have decreased by up to 33% globally over the past ten years, threatening the biodiversity they support and essential ecosystem services they provide. Despite this, the importance of wetlands for bat conservation and the consequences of losing these habitats are not comprehensively understood.Through a systematic literature review, we quantified the knowledge gaps regarding bats in wetlands by: 1) assessing research trends over time; 2) evaluating research biases in geography, themes, species, seasons, and methodology; 3) creating the 'bat Knowledge Index' (bKI), a standard indicator for measuring how well‐studied bats in wetlands are per country; 4) compiling and summarising the ecological responses of bats to wetlands; and 5) assessing how bat researchers perceive the role of wetlands for bat conservation.We found strong similarities between the reviewed studies and the bat researchers' perceptions. However, although 75% of respondents considered wetlands important for bat conservation, they rarely studied these habitats. Most of the studies took place in developed countries, leaving critical gaps in countries where wetlands are rapidly decreasing. The bKI can be used as a tool for land managers to prioritise conservation actions and resources for the protection of bats in wetlands geographically.Research topics were found to be biased towards habitat selection and species inventory, with many topics only superficially explored. There was also an important seasonal bias, resulting in many unanswered questions during energetically demanding periods for bats (e.g. migration). However, constantly evolving technological developments, such as bat lures and tracking devices, might aid new studies in these habitats.Up to 66% of studies reported that wetlands benefit bat activity or species richness, mainly because of high prey densities and the availability of fresh water. However, the low number of studies and all the identified research gaps make 'bats and wetlands' a largely underexplored ecological interaction between a poorly studied animal taxon and an increasingly threatened habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results obtained during four years of sampling of mammals in different plant covers of the municipality of San José del Guaviare, Guaviare, Colombia. Between 2012 and 2017 we collected information about diversity of mammals, through capture with mist nets, traps for small and medium mammals, camera traps, direct observations, interviews, and secondary information. We report 121 species of mammals for the municipality. We recorded sampling completeness of 64% for bats, 60% for small non-flying mammals, and 100% for medium and large mammals. We highlight geographical novelties for the marsupials Marmosa waterhousei, Glironia venusta and for the bats Lonchorhina marinkellei, Phyllostomus latifolius, Glyphonycteris sylvestris, Glyphonycteris daviesi, Glossophaga commissarisi and Myotis keaysi. The richness found in this study is comparable with other long-term neotropical inventories and the area has the largest number of bat and primate species reported for any site in Colombia. However, it is necessary to continue with the intensive sampling, because the richness of small non-volant mammals and bats are still underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se estudia la dieta y la estructura trófica de 36 especies de murciélagos del Santuario Nacional Pampa Hermosa. Se analizaron muestras fecales y geles con polen. En las fecas se encontraron semillas, polen y restos de artrópodos. Los murciélagos se clasificaron en seis grupos funcionales. En la dieta de los frugívoros sedentarios (FS), frugívoros nómades (FN) y nectarívoros (N) se identificaron 70 morfoespecies de semillas y polen; en la dieta de los insectívoros aéreos (IA) e insectívoros recolectores (IR) se identificaron nueve morfo especies de artrópodos. El análisis de componentes principales muestra la separación de los murciélagos y sus dietas. Carollia brevicauda-Piperaceae (Piper spp.), Vampyressa melissa-Moraceae (Ficus spp.), Sturnira lilium-Solanaceae; Anoura peruana y Anoura cultrata separados por el consumo de Fabaceae y Bombacaceae, respectivamente, y Myotis spp. por el consumo de artrópodos. La amplitud de nicho alimentario fue menor de 0.50, en todo el ensamblaje. Los valores de solapamiento de dieta fueron mayores de 0.5 entre: A. cultrata-A. caudifer (0.59), Sturnira lilium-Uroderma bilobatum (0.55), V. melissa-Platyrrhinus masu (0.62), y en general para los IA e IR. El análisis de agrupamiento basado en los valores de solapamiento de dieta, agrupa a los frugívoros estrictos Sternodermatinae separándolos de los murciélagos con dietas insectívoras, como Carollia spp. y Anoura spp.

A pesar de la alta diversidad de mamíferos conocidos para el Perú, son pocos los estudios en las yungas centrales, lo que no permite un adecuado conocimiento de su diversidad. Aquí se da a conocer los resultados de una evaluación de la diversidad de mamíferos de Carpish, Huánuco, un bosque montano en estado crítico de conservación. El estudio se realizó entre 2001 y 2002 con cinco expediciones en las localidades de Carpish de Mayobamba (2730 – 3080 m) y San Pedro de Carpish (1780 – 2400 m). Se emplearon métodos de captura, avistamientos y entrevistas, los que representan un esfuerzo de 28500 trampas noche y 190 redes noche. Registramos 35 especies de mamíferos en el área de estudio. Los órdenes más diversos fueron los murciélagos y roedores (74.3 %), estos incluyen cuatro especies endémicas para el país, cuatro especies en alguna categoría de conservación y el primer registro de la marmosita grácil Gracilinanus aceramarcae para Huánuco. La riqueza y los índices de diversidad (H' y Simpson) para roedores no muestran correlación significativa con respecto a la elevación. El roedor Thomasomys ischyrus y el murciélago Anoura aequatoris fueron las especies con mayor abundancia relativa. Nuestros registros, más los de la literatura y la revisión de colecciones científicas, sustentan la ocurrencia de 45 especies de mamíferos en el bosque de Carpish. Esta riqueza de especies, los endemismos y la acelerada pérdida de bosque son base para recomendar el establecimiento de un área de conservación que garantice la protección de los bosques montanos de Carpish.

Currently 67 species of bats are recognized for the fauna of Argentina. Notwithstanding the geographical records of the species are well documented, their distributional patterns on a national scale have not been studied so far. In this study, we analyze all the validated records, in order to identify patterns of species richness and distributional congruence. The highest species richness was located in the Paraná forest (northeast) and the Yungas forest (northwest), with a marked drop in richness in the latitudinal gradient. The coincidence of the geographical ranges of the species defined a total of 47 consensus areas of distributional congruence, and each one was assigned to one of eight identified patterns: the Yungas, the northern sector of the Yungas (nested with the previous one), the northeast, a disjunct pattern that includes the northwest and northeast of the country, the Chaco region along with other surrounding regions, and the Patagonian region. Fifty-one species (76% of the total) were characterizers. Several of the patterns found coincide with areas recovered for other organisms (plants and animals), which could suggest the existence of areas with common histories for much of the biota of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the effect of reduced impact logging on interspecific relationships, particularly the ectoparasite-host relationship. This study assessed the prevalence, abundance, and diversity of ectoparasites of small mammals in forests with reduced impact logging and control plots in southeastern Peruvian Amazon. We used Generalized Linear Models to assess the effect of reduced logging, habitat structure, and host sex on the ectoparasites of the most representative genera: Marmosops, Euryoryzomys, Proechimys, and Carollia. No statistical evidence about an effect of reduced logging on both the prevalence and diversity of ectoparasites were found. However, we found a positive effect of logging on the abundance of mites (Laelapidae) and ticks (Ixodidae) at individual level for Marmosops spp. and Proechimys spp. respectively; but a negative effect on mite abundance in Euryoryzomys spp. In addition, female rodents had a higher amount of ectoparasites. On the other hand, the intensity of the bat flies (Streblidae) in individuals of Carollia spp. was lower in logged forests. This study is one of the few to address the effect of reduced logging on ectoparasitism in small mammals. We suggest expanding the knowledge about the effects of these interactions to a specific level on a seasonal basis, which can provide further information to improve understanding of how this anthropogenic activity affects interactions between mammals and their ectoparasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Veterinaria is the property of Universidad Nacional del Nordeste and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Wind energy development causes bat fatalities. Despite emphasis on understanding and reducing these impacts, few data are available for the southwest region of the United States and northern Mexico. We monitored bat fatalities for a full year (March 2017–March 2018) at a wind energy facility in south Texas near the United States–Mexico border. We established search plots of 100-m radius at eight randomly selected turbines (of 255) and searched the roads and pads at an additional 92 turbines. We conducted weekly searches from spring through fall and bimonthly during winter. We used GenEst (Gen eralized Mortality Est imator) to estimate bat fatalities corrected for searcher efficiency, carcass removal, and density-weighted proportion of area searched. We found 205 bats during standardized searches, the majority of which were Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis , 76%). The corrected fatality estimates were 16 bats/megawatt/year (95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 12 – 30 bats/megawatt/year) across all species. Species composition at our site is similar to that of northern Mexico, an area of expanding wind energy development with no published studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estudiamos la diversidad de murciélagos en cinco diferentes coberturas vegetales del Caribe hondureño y nicaragüense: bosque maduro (BM), bosque secundario (BS), bosque ripario (BR), tacotales o guamiles (TG) y áreas abiertas (HA); determinando aspectos ecológicos y de conservación para todo el paisaje. Realizamos un esfuerzo de muestreo de 1.362 horas/red durante el cual se capturaron 2.170 individuos pertenecientes a 57 especies que representan el 39,3% de las especies de murciélagos centroamericanos. La zona evaluada presenta una alta variedad de ecosistemas, que albergan especies propias del Caribe centroamericano, incluyendo especies en riesgo como el murciélago blanco hondureño, Ectophylla alba, catalogada en ambos países como "amenazada" y a nivel mundial como "casi amenazada". Las coberturas de BM presentaron la mayor riqueza de especies con 41, seguido del BS y el BR con 31 especies cadauna. Las coberturas de TG con 26 especies, y HA con 19 fueron las de menor riqueza. Esto es evidencia de la importancia de las coberturas de bosques maduros para conservar comunidades de murciélagos poco comunes o ausentes en hábitats muy fragmentados de Centroamérica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Current knowledge on Colombian mammals has been based on specimens deposited in national or foreign collections and others that are part of passive sampling sensors. However, in recent years, regional collections are filling information gaps that complement available data on distribution, intra- and interspecific variation, and provide samples for phylogenetic analyses. We present information on 2112 records deposited in the Mammal Collection of the Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad de Caldas, which to date constitutes the most complete collection in the Colombian Coffee Growing Region. Most records (n = 1412) come from the Department of Caldas, but there are records for 20 more departments. The most representative orders are Chiroptera (n = 1322 records) and Rodentia (n = 434). The collection houses two specimens used for the description of the endemic marsupial Marmosops chucha, as well as at least 363 specimens that have been referenced in national and foreign publications.

Este estudio informa sobre las especies de murciélagos registrados en dos zonas de manglar en el Golfo de Chiriquí, República de Panamá. Las capturas de murciélagos se hicieron durante la estación lluviosa de 2016 y en la lluviosa y seca de 2017. El objetivo del estudio fue caracterizar la fauna de quirópteros en los manglares para estimar el papel que estos animales juegan en ese tipo de bosques. Los murciélagos fueron capturados mediante redes de niebla de 2.5 m de alto por 12 m de largo. Se capturaron 455 ejemplares, pertenecientes a 25 especies y cinco familias, donde Phyllostomidae abarcó19 especies (88% de las especies). Otras familias observadas fueron Emballonuridae (una especie), Noctilionidae (una especie), Mormoopidae (una especie) y Vespertilionidae, con tres especies. Las especies más abundantes fueron Artibeus jamaicensis, Desmodus rotundus, Carollia perspicillata y Glossophaga soricina, que abarcaron el 80.33% de las capturas.