Abstract
ABSTRACT Desmodus rotundus (É. Geoffroy, 1810) feeds preferably on mammal blood, including livestock animals, such as bovine cattle. In spite of using native preys in the wild, records of this feeding activity are scarce. In the present study, we investigated the foraging activity of D. rotundus based on video footage from camera traps in Atlantic Forest fragments in southern Goiás State, Brazil. Out of 23 mammal species recorded in the study area, four had interactions with Desmodus rotundus (Priodontes maximus, Tapirus terrestris, Mazama americana and Pecari tajacu). The records were obtained from early night to sunrise. There was a correlation between abundance of potential preys and the choice of the target by D. rotundus. Most of the bat-prey interaction occurred on the edge of fragments. The present study records for the first time the potential use of the collared peccary (P. tajacu) and the giant armadillo (P. maximus) in the diet of D. rotundus.
Highlights
IntroductionOut of 23 mammal species recorded in the study area, four had interactions with Desmodus rotundus (Priodontes maximus, Tapirus terrestris, Mazama americana and Pecari tajacu)
Vampire bats interacted with four species of medium and large mammals in 10 different occasions
The camera traps recorded domestic animals, such as bovine cattle, within fragments on three occasions, but the interaction with vampire bats was observed in none
Summary
Out of 23 mammal species recorded in the study area, four had interactions with Desmodus rotundus (Priodontes maximus, Tapirus terrestris, Mazama americana and Pecari tajacu). The present study records for the first time the potential use of the collared peccary (P. tajacu) and the giant armadillo (P. maximus) in the diet of D. rotundus. A suscetibilidade de alvos ao morcego-vampiro Desmodus rotundus é proporcional à sua abundância em fragmentos de Mata Atlântica? Das 23 espécies de mamíferos registradas na área de estudo, quatro possuíram interações com Desmodus rotundus (Priodontes maximus, Tapirus terrestris, Mazama americana e Pecari tajacu). Despite a good documentation of bats feeding on animals, in domesticated animals, such as bovine cattle (Dalquest, 1955; Voigt & Kelm, 2006; Mialhe, 2014), the data on bat diet in natural environments using wild preys are scarce
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