Abstract
The Caatinga is a semi-arid ecosystem with a long history of anthropic impacts and scientific negligence. Since bats are the second most diverse group of mammals and have wide ecological roles, a well-based comprehension of their diversity for an area is important for management and conservationist actions. The goal of this study is to provide a list of the bat species found in Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Fazenda Almas, Paraiba, Northeastern Brazil. By sampling with mist nets and exploring roosts, we captured 126 specimens and recorded 19 species from 5 families. The most abundant species were Artibeus planirostris, Peropteryx macrotis, Myotis nigricans, and Carollia perspicillata . We registered high diversity of Phyllostominae, as well as the occurrence of the genus Histiotus in the state for the first time. Our results indicate that Caatinga areas can maintain bat assemblages with levels of diversity similar to moist tropical areas, which highlights the need to expand the network of protected areas in this threatened ecosystem. Keywords : Chiroptera , diversity, private reserve, semi-arid.
Highlights
Caatinga is a Neotropical ecosystem characterized by its accentuated seasonal weather, with scarce and irregular rainfall and high temperatures (Leal et al, 2005; Menezes et al, 2012)
We report results of the first bat survey conducted in the Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (RPPN) Fazenda Almas, located in the eastern Caatinga, in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil
This study represents the first bat inventory performed in the altitude of the dry region of Cariri, in the Paraíba State, northeastern Brazil
Summary
Caatinga is a Neotropical ecosystem characterized by its accentuated seasonal weather, with scarce and irregular rainfall and high temperatures (Leal et al, 2005; Menezes et al, 2012). A wellbased comprehension about bat fauna on a region is important for conservation and management actions, since bats are the second most diverse group of mammals, with over 160 species registered in Brazil (Reis et al, 2007). They play important ecological roles, such as pollination, seed dispersal and population control for insects (Peracchi et al, 2006). The region (Borborema geographical mesoregion) is under intense human occupation and traditional agribusiness exploitation (especially livestock), causing fast landscape modification and habitat loss, and making all efforts to study the regional biodiversity urgent
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