Potential distribution of Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum in Colombia and new record

Abstract

The visored bat, Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum Peters, 1882, is a species listed as Data Deficient by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, being considered rare throughout its geographical range due to the small number of specimens recorded. This study reports a new record that broadens the distribution range of the species in Colombia to the central mountain range and upper valley of the Magdalena river. One adult male of S. toxophyllum was captured after a sampling effort of 3,870 net-hours over 36 nights in the Andean region, at the upper valley of the Magdalena river, Department of Tolima, Colombia. Its diet was analyzed and a model for Colombia was built. The morphometric analysis of the specimen captured yielded values lower than those previously reported for Colombia. The analysis of stomach contents identified two floristic elements as part of its diet, corroborating the frugivorous feeding habits of this species. Separately, the application of species distribution modeling techniques established that S. toxophyllum has a potential geographic range that continues north of the Choco-Magdalena province and west of the Orinoco and Guayana biogeographical provinces of Colombia. Based on these data, we propose that the extended distribution range reported here may be associated with a current connection between these geographical provinces.