Variações na coloração da pelagem do morcego-pescador Noctilio leporinus (L., 1758) (Mammalia, Chiroptera)

Abstract

The fur colour variation of fishing bat (Noctilio leporinus L.) was studied in Guaratuba Bay, southern Brazil during the year of 1999. The fur colour of 23 males and 16 females catched in mist nets was correlationed to body mas. The males presented their fur colour variating from light yellow to dark brown. The females presented their fur colour variating from light yellow to gray. Males and females presented a positive correlation between the darkening of fur colour matiz and the increase of body mass. The weighter bats show more dark colour matiz than lesser body weight bats. Males over 90g of body mass show dark brown pattern and females over 70g of body mass show variation of ocraceous to dark gray The justificatives to existence of this correlation between body mass and colour variation were discussed. The hypothesis of sexual maturation responsabile for this variation is sugested. Thus during the sexual maturation process wherein the bat body mass increase their fur colour change from ligth to dark matizes.