Bats In Brazil Research Articles

Serological and molecular investigation of Leptospira spp. In bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia) from Brazil.

Bats play a crucial role in the ecosystem, yet concerns have arisen regarding their potential as carriers of zoonotic bacteria, including Leptospira spp. Due to the lack of knowledge about the carrier state of bats in Brazil, this study aimed to evaluate the presence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. and its DNA in bats from four Brazilian States (São Paulo, Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Ceará). Bats were captured using mist nets and categorized by sex, age, and species. Antibodies were searched in 22 bats via the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Additionally, 168 kidney and nine urine samples were subjected to PCR for Leptospira spp. Out of 177 samples tested, two (1.13%) were positive in PCR, while none showed reactivity in MAT. These results suggest a low prevalence of Leptospira spp. infection in bats, indicating a limited role in transmitting leptospirosis to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife in the studied region.

Polychromophilus (Haemosporida: Plasmodiidae): A review of association with bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) and the first record in the Neotropical bat, Myotis albescens (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Colombia

Some species within the family Plasmodiidae (Haemosporida) have been extensively studied due to their implications for human health. However, for other haemosporidians that infect wild animals the knowledge is limited. Species within the genus Polychromophilus have thus far been documented exclusively as hemoparasites of bats. Records of Polychromophilus are primarily from Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia, with limited information available for the Americas. Here, we assessed the state of knowledge on Polychromophilus species infecting bats worldwide and searched for the presence of Polychromophilus in blood samples of neotropical bats from Colombia. We found a total of 65 records of Polychromophilus in 46 bat species belonging to the families Emballonuridae, Hipposideridae, Miniopteridae, Rhinolophidae, Rhinonycteridae, and Vespertilionidae worldwide, except for Antarctica. In the Americas, records of the genus Polychromophilus are exclusively from Vespertilionidae bats in Brazil, Colombia, the United States, and Panama. The morphological and molecular analyses of blood from 125 bats, belonging to 39 species and captured in seven localities within the departments of Arauca and Caldas (Colombia), confirmed the presence of Polychromophilus deanei in a silver-tipped myotis, Myotis albescens (Vespertilionidae). This finding represents the first morphological and molecular confirmation of P. deanei in the Americas. Additionally, it expands the knowledge on the diversity and distribution of Polychromophilus in Neotropical bats.

Some bats are here: Reducing the Wallacean shortfall of bats in the amazon.

The Amazon rainforest has approximately 23% of its sampled area dedicated to bats, making it one of the least sampled and most diverse regions for bats in Brazil. The lack of sampling results in a lack of knowledge regarding the accurate geographical distribution of bat species. This lack is referred to as the Wallacean shortfall, which should be addressed with primary data obtained from insitu collections. However, the use of Species Distribution Models (SDMs) can help alleviate this gap. The states of Pará and Acre are located in the Brazilian Amazon. So, our objective is to decrease the Wallacean shortfall concerning Amazonian bat species. To achieve this, we provide (i) a list of bat species sampled in the states of Pará and Acre in the last 5 years (2017 to 2022); (ii) the potential distribution of species considered as new occurrences for the region; and (iii) the potential distribution of species classified as Data Deficient (DD) and Near Threatened (NT) according to the IUCN classification. With 96 nights of collection and 129,600 m2h of mist netting, we obtained 75 bat species, with an estimated total of 94.78 species. Additionally, 21 species were considered as range extensions. The Brazilian Amazon region has a vast geographic expanse and few established research centers, resulting in a limited sampling of bats and other biological groups. Furthermore, we draw attention to the significant number of bat species with expanded geographical distributions, with 21 out of the 75 sampled species. This should be a reminder that primary biogeographic data is still necessary for the neotropical region.

Antigenic and molecular evidence of Brucella sp.-associated epididymo-orchitis in frugivorous (Artibeus lituratus) and nectarivorous (Glossophaga soricina) bats in Brazil.

This study included 47 free-ranging bats from the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Six bats (12.8%) had genital inflammatory lesions, and two of them (one Artibeus lituratus and one Glossophaga soricina, a frugivorous and a nectarivorous, respectively) were diagnosed with Brucella sp. infection through PCR, and antigens in intralesional macrophages were detected using immunohistochemistry.

Molecular Investigation Confirms Myotis Genus Bats as Common Hosts of Polychromophilus in Brazil.

Plasmodium spp. and some other blood parasites belonging to the order Haemosporida are the focus of many epidemiological studies worldwide. However, haemosporidian parasites from wild animals are largely neglected in scientific research. For example, Polychromophilus parasites, which are exclusive to bats, are described in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, but little is known about their presence and genetic diversity in the New World. In this study, 224 samples of bats from remaining fragments of the Atlantic Forest and Pantanal biomes, as well as urbanized areas in southern and southeastern Brazil, were analyzed for the presence of haemosporidian parasites by PCR of the mitochondrial gene that encodes cytochrome b (cytb). The PCR fragments of the positive samples were sequenced and analyzed by the Bayesian inference method to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships between Polychromophilus parasites from bats in Brazil and other countries. Sequences from Brazilian lineages of Polychromophilus were recovered in a clade with sequences from Polychromophilus murinus and close to the one Polychromophilus sequence obtained in Panama, the only available sequence for the American continent. This clade was restricted to bats of the family Vespertilionidae and distinct from Polychromophilus melanipherus, a parasite species mainly found in bats of the family Miniopteridae. The detection of Polychromophilus and the genetic proximity to P. murinus were further confirmed with the amplification of two other genes (clpc and asl). We also found a Haemosporida parasite sequence in a sample of Noctilio albiventris collected in the Pantanal biome, which presents phylogenetic proximity with avian Haemoproteus sequences. Morphological and molecular studies are still needed to conclude and describe the Polychromophilus species in Brazilian Myotis bats in more detail and to confirm Haemoproteus parasites in bats. Nevertheless, these molecular results in Brazilian bats confirm the importance of studying these neglected genera.

Does size matter? Bat diversity and the use of rock shelters in Brazil

A positive correlation between cave size and bat diversity has been recorded by some authors for different cave areas in South America. We analyzed published and otherwise available data from three Brazilian karst areas and phytogeography domains, including NE and SE Atlantic Forest and Cerrado (savannah-like vegetation), encompassing a wide range of cave sizes. We found no such correlation, as expected in view of previous observations by researchers and speleologists. We discuss the ecological implications of different ways to measure bat diversity, i.e. the accumulative number of species (sequential use of caves) vs. the number of species at a given occasion (species in actual cohabitation) vs. bat abundance (numbers of individuals), as well as speleological topics related to the concept of caves (based on an anthropomorphic definition, not applicable to other species), the problems of estimating topographic variables such as cave area and volume, and the value of including cave temperatures in the analyses. Multiple interacting variables may influence the composition of cave bat communities and bat species richness and abundance. The most important ones would be the density of caves in a given area (related to lithology – calcareous vs. siliciclastic caves), regional climates, and degree of preservation of epigean habitat. Cave morphology, number and size of entrances, and presence of water bodies, as well as interactions with other species, must also be considered. In conclusion, as a general statement for tropical and subtropical bats, cave size (in the human sense) by itself does not matter, except perhaps for one-off situations. Finally, a brief overview of the diversity of cave bats in Brazil is presented.

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in urban-rural interfaces: community structure associated with pathogen screening in São Paulo-the largest metropolitan region in Brazil.

Little is known about the influence of the urban environments on bat species 'ecology. The urbanization process potentially lead to critical ecological changes in bat communities' intra and interspecific pathogenic transmissions dynamics. To date, the monitoring of pathogens in bats in Brazil has only been done with bats found dead or alive in households, from rabies surveillance systems. The present work aimed to investigate how urbanization influenced bat richness, relative abundance and pathogen occurrence. Most captured bats were Phyllostomidae, especially Sturnira lilium, Artibeus lituratus, A. fimbriatus, Glossophaga soricina, and Platyrrhinus lineatus, among others. From preserved-rural towards urban areas the lesser the bat richness, the higher the relative abundance of the captured bats. Noise level, luminosity and relative humidity correlated with bat abundance. The proportion of genders, sexually active bats and their size (weight, right forearm length, and body condition index) were stable throughout the investigation. Still, the proportion of pregnant females was higher in Spring and the number of juveniles in Summer, evidencing the seasonality of reproduction. Several Enterobacteria were isolated, evidencing a significant role of bats in the circulation of pathogens of medical and veterinary interest. These results are crucial in the pursuit of a harmonious coexistence between humans, bats and domestic animals in areas with different levels of anthropization.

Portable reduced graphene oxide biosensor for detection of rabies virus in bats using nasopharyngeal swab samples

Rabies is a lethal zoonotic disease caused by rabies virus (RABV) that affects human health and the economy. RABV is transmitted mainly by bats in Brazil, and surveillance in remote areas is hampered by the difficulty of properly collecting samples during fieldwork and the diagnosis is performed in laboratory conditions. Here, we report a portable electrochemical biosensor based on nucleic acid interactions for RABV detection in nasopharyngeal swab samples. The working electrode of the biosensor is composed of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) thin-film immobilized with cDNA through pi-pi stacking to enhance virus detection and specificity. Sensor performance was determined using RNA, and swab samples from bats. RNA detection shows good selectivity, and quantification presents a highly linear calibration curve (R2 = 0.990) using a concentration range of 0.145–25.39 ng/μL. A LOD of 0.104 ng/μL was reached with a sensitivity of 0.321 μA (ng/μL)−1. RABV detection in nasopharyngeal swab samples showed a good difference of positive sample from negative with a response time in seconds, ultra-fast detection compared to known techniques. Three biosensor groups were identified and named after physic-chemical surface characterization as: GO-1, GO-2, and rGO; with best performance for rGO group due to its sp2 hybridized network. Thus, we have successfully fabricated a promising electrochemical biosensor for fast in-situ detection of the RABV in swab samples, which can be expanded to other enveloped viruses that have RNA.

Mormoopid bats from Brazil: updates on the geographic distribution of three species and their echolocation calls

Abstract Mormoopids are a small group of insectivorous bats largely distributed from the southwestern United States throughout Central and South America. They occupy a wide variety of habitats, and in Brazil have usually been associated with habitats in the Amazon, Cerrado, or Caatinga biomes. Nevertheless, most of the information compiled so far to infer their distributional limits is based on roosting colonies occasionally found in caves or on inventories using bat mist netting, which is known to be an ineffective method for capturing aerial insectivorous bats. In this contribution, we present new occurrence records of mormoopid bats based on acoustic surveys in the Caatinga and Cerrado biomes and make an extensive literature review to provide an up-to-date distribution of these bats in Brazil. We additionally describe important parameters of the echolocation calls of mormoopids across the geographical scope of our study, contrasting our data with published information to provide a better overview of the intraspecific acoustic variation of these bat species. Our acoustic data reveal a larger area of occurrence of mormoopids in Brazil than previously known, confirming new records for two states.

Rhipicephalus microplus larvae: first report in bats, Molossus rufus.

Cattle are the main hosts of Rhipicephalus microplus; however, this ixodid can also parasitize other animal species. We collected a specimen of R. microplus larvae from one bat Molossus rufus (Mammalia, Chiroptera) from the Cachoeirinha municipality (29° 56' 52'' S and 51° 5' 43'' W), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The specimen was taxonomically identified using identification keys(Vargas2006). This study reports the first occurrence of this species parasitizing insectivorous bats in Brazil.

Highly Diverse Arenaviruses in Neotropical Bats, Brazil.

We detected arenavirus RNA in 1.6% of 1,047 bats in Brazil that were sampled during 2007-2011. We identified Tacaribe virus in 2 Artibeus sp. bats and a new arenavirus species in Carollia perspicillata bats that we named Tietê mammarenavirus. Our results suggest that bats are an underrecognized arenavirus reservoir.

DNA damage as indicator of the environmental vulnerability of bats in Brazil's Caatinga drylands.

Brazil's Caatinga drylands is under extensive environmental deterioration, with 38% of its natural cover already lost. There is a need for a better understanding of the effects of such degradation on Caatinga's rich and singular biota. Bats form a large part of this biota, and are pointed as good bioindicators. Here, we used the micronucleus test-an easy-to-use, accessible and cost-effective in vivo approach-to detect DNA damage in cells from bats of different species and feeding habits in three protected areas in the Caatinga, comparing them with samples from an industrial sugarcane plantation. We hypothesized that environmental disturbance would reflect in DNA damage, with lower levels of damage in the less disturbed protected areas. The frequency of micronucleated cells differed significantly between sites and feeding habits (carnivores > insectivores > frugivores > nectarivores > hematophagous) but did not differ between sexes. Alarmingly, the highest levels of DNA damage were in two strictly protected areas (Seridó and Raso da Catarina Ecological Stations). Glossophaga and Anoura were the genera with more damaged cells, and had, respectively, 1.48 and 3.53 times more micronucleated cells (average of 19.33 and 22.67 cells, respectively) than individuals from the same genera from the area with least damaged cells (average of 7.80 and 5.00 cells, respectively). Our analysis is a warning call for an in-depth investigation on the effects of both genotoxic contamination and environmental stressors on bats and other species in Brazil's Caatinga, including the role that historical human-induced processes-like the intense use of agrochemicals-may have had in the region.

The scientific literature on bats (chiroptera) in Brazil: a scientometric analysis from 1954 - 2018.

Globally, bats are of interest in many studies, beyond their ecological or epidemiological relevance or even the ecomorphological diversity of species. In Brazil, most of the indexed studies on chiropterans date from 1954, with a slow and heterogeneous progress in the publication increasing. The aim of this study was to analyze the literature on bats in Brazil, identifying patterns, tendencies and knowledge gaps in the Brazilian federal states. We carried out a sistematyzed search on the online databases Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (WoS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), PubMed and Scopus. We used the descriptive terms "Chiroptera" and "Brazil". Besides these bases, we included data from the manuscripts published in Chiroptera Neotropical. We obtained a total of 1,115 articles, which were analyzed and classified in 22 thematic categories based on the articles' approach. We observed that each Brazilian region and state had particularities in their knowledge panoramas of bats, not being possible to generalize conditions for each federal region. Even though the increasing in the number of articles by categories, we encourage that every approach keep being developded, once no thematic could had been considered enough explored till the moment.

Bioacoustics for in situ validation of species distribution modelling: An example with bats in Brazil.

Species distribution modelling (SDM) gained importance on biodiversity distribution and conservation studies worldwide, including prioritizing areas for public policies and international treaties. Useful for large-scale approaches and species distribution estimates, it is a plus considering that a minor fraction of the planet is adequately sampled. However, minimizing errors is challenging, but essential, considering the uses and consequences of such models. In situ validation of the SDM outputs should be a key-step-in some cases, urgent. Bioacoustics can be used to validate and refine those outputs, especially if the focal species' vocalizations are conspicuous and species-specific. This is the case of echolocating bats. Here, we used extensive acoustic monitoring (>120 validation points over an area of >758,000 km2, and producing >300,000 sound files) to validate MaxEnt outputs for six neotropical bat species in a poorly-sampled region of Brazil. Based on in situ validation, we evaluated four threshold-dependent theoretical evaluation metrics' ability in predicting models' performance. We also assessed the performance of three widely used thresholds to convert continuous SDMs into presence/absence maps. We demonstrated that MaxEnt produces very different outputs, requiring a careful choice on thresholds and modeling parameters. Although all theoretical evaluation metrics studied were positively correlated with accuracy, we empirically demonstrated that metrics based on specificity-sensitivity and sensitivity-precision are better for testing models, considering that most SDMs are based on unbalanced data. Without independent field validation, we found that using an arbitrary threshold for modelling can be a precarious approach with many possible outcomes, even after getting good evaluation scores. Bioacoustics proved to be important for validating SDMs for the six bat species analyzed, allowing a better refinement of SDMs in large and under-sampled regions, with relatively low sampling effort. Regardless of the species assessing method used, our research highlighted the vital necessity of in situ validation for SDMs.

A NEW SPECIES OF ALLINTOSHIUS (NEMATODA: HELIGMOSOMOIDEA) FROM TWO SPECIES OF BATS IN BRAZIL.

Allintoshius Chitwood, 1937 is the only genus of the family Ornithostrongylidae (Travassos, 1937) Durette-Desset and Chabaud, 1981 that parasitizes bats. Currently, there are 10 valid species in the genus, of which 3 were described from Brazil. This study describes a new species of Allintoshius and records the first occurrence of a nematode of this genus parasitizing Artibeus lituratus (Olfers). Allintoshius gomesae n. sp. is characterized by having anterior region coiled, cephalic vesicle with cuticular dilation striated transversely, and claviform esophagus. Synlophe in females consists of 16 cuticular ridges at the mid-body. Males have large caudal bursa, and conic and small spicules, and the gubernaculum is absent. Females have uterus didelphic, amphidelphic, tail tip tapered, and ovijector divided into 2 divergent branches, subequal in length. The new species differs from its congeners especially by the shape of the tail tip, vulvar opening, and size of spicules. Allintoshius gomesae is the fourth species of Allintoshius from Brazil and the first report in Ar. lituratus, increasing the number of species recognized of the genus.

Albinism in Artibeus planirostris (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) in the Caatinga biome and updated list of albino bats in Brazil.

Albinism is a genetic disorder that results in a deficiency in melanin production. This type of chromatic alteration may affect several vertebrate species, but is rarely observed in nature. In Brazil, for the bat group, only 15 albino individuals have been registered. Here we present a new case for Artibeus planirostris. A pregnant female of this species with alopecia was captured in the Caatinga biome. A compilation of the distribution of albino bats in Brazil is presented.

Where are the bats? An environmental complementarity analysis in a megadiverse country

AbstractAimField surveys are necessary to overcome Wallacean shortfalls. The task is even more important when human pressure on tropical—megadiverse—ecosystems is considered. However, due to financial constraints, spatial and temporal prioritization is required. Here, we used the concept of environmental complementarity to identify non‐surveyed regions for bats that are environmentally different from other already surveyed regions. We highlighted regions in Brazil where field inventories could be conducted to locate new occurrences or even new bat species.LocationBrazil.MethodsWe based our analysis on environmental characterization aiming to identify dissimilar regions to those already sampled for bats in Brazil. We used 21 environmental variables to characterize 1,531 unique localities where bats occur. Then, we applied the parameters of a generalized linear model (GLM) to extrapolate the expected values of the environmental variables for the entire country. We compared the predicted values of localities with newly described bat species occurrence against the values for other bat species.ResultsWe found that sites from which recently discovered species were described are environmentally distinct from the sites where previously described species occur. Therefore, new occurrences and even new species could be found in regions that are environmentally dissimilar from those already surveyed. By crossing the model with a human footprint map, we defined temporal priorities for field inventories. Regions such as the Northern Cerrado and Western Caatinga should be surveyed first. Similar approaches could be undertaken for other biological groups or regions, allowing the identification of spatial congruence and the development of a comprehensive national programme for biological field inventories.Main conclusionNewly described species occurred in environments dissimilar to those previously identified, showing that environmental complementarity analysis is a valid approach to define priority regions for new bat inventories.

FIRST RECORD OF NATURAL PREDATION ON BATS BY DOMESTIC CAT IN BRAZIL, WITH DISTRIBUTION EXTENSION FOR PHYLLOSTOMUS DISCOLOR

Domestic cats ( Felis catus ) prey upon bats, but the impact of this predation on bats, and their populations, by domestic cats worldwide has been underestimated. In Brazil, there is no scientific record of this natural predation event. In this paper, I report firsthand observations of domestic cat natural predation on bats in Brazil. The observations took place in an urban area in northeast Brazil and revealed a female cat attacking Artibeus lituratus (Olfer, 1818) and Phyllostomus discolor (Wagner, 1843) . It is also the first record of P. discolor in Alagoas state. Two out of five predation records consist of parts of bats (skull and wings) left by the cat. The other three are from entire bats rescued. As many species of bats live in urban environments, information on predation gives access to some threats wildlife living in the cities could be submitted, especially when the predator is a domestic animal.

Leishmania presence in bats in areas endemic for leishmaniasis in central-west Brazil.

Leishmaniasis involves the participation of several species of both wild and domestic mammal hosts and sandfly vectors, which demonstrates the eco-epidemiological complexity observed in this disease. Bats are among the most abundant types of mammals and the scarcity of research on Leishmania infection in these animals gives evidence of the importance of new studies that aim to clarify this relationship. This study aimed to detect the Leishmania spp. in bats. 146 bats, representing 16 different species belonging to the Molossidae, Vespertilionidae, and Phyllostomidae families, were received and processed for collection of tissues. Skin samples were collected from 100% of the bats, and liver samples were collected from 87% (n = 127). After evaluating the quality of the DNA extracted by means of PCR directed to the IRBP gene, the samples considered suitable for the Leishmania detection test were submitted for PCR directed to Leishmania kDNA, and to confirm positivity, were tested to the SSUrRNA gene-directed Nested-PCR. The Leishmania presence in the species Molossus pretiosus, Nyctinomops macrotis, and Lasiurus cinereus are the first reports this encounter in these species of bats in Brazil. Furthermore, new species of bats as possible hosts for L. infantum are reported, such as Molossus pretiosus, Myotis nigricans, Nyctinomops laticaudatus, Nyctinomops macrotis, and, for L. braziliensis, Lasiurus cinereus and Cynomops planirostris. These findings in bats in an area endemic for leishmaniasis indicate that these animals may be involved in sustaining the disease cycle in this location.

Assessing the distribution of a species‐rich group in a continental‐sized megadiverse country: Bats in Brazil

AbstractAimThe effective conservation and management of any given species frequently requires basic knowledge on its distribution, which is problematic for highly mobile, species‐ and ecologically‐rich groups, like bats. Moreover, to produce detailed distributions for continental‐sized, bat species‐rich countries, like Brazil, is difficult, especially considering that ~60% of the country has not a single formal bat record. Using Species Distribution Modelling (SDM), we assessed the potential distribution of >100 species of Brazilian bats.LocationBrazil.MethodsWe (a) updated data on the distribution of 135 bat species, (b) generated SDMs for each species, (c) constructed species richness maps for Brazil, (d) determined areas of endemism and (e) identified areas harbouring threatened species.ResultsAmazonia harbours the highest bat species richness (76% of the species), followed by the Atlantic Forest (66%), Cerrado (65%) and the Caatinga (53%). Richness in 5 × 5 km grid cells varied between 23 and 117 species and 70% of Brazil's territory is predicted to have 50–90 species, and 25% >90 species. Coastal Atlantic forest, mainly in its north‐eastern region, and along its contact zone with the Caatinga biome had the highest potential richness. However, there is a severe regional sampling bias: 48% of the records available were from the Atlantic Forest and 21% were from along the Amazon River.Main conclusionsPantanal and Pampa are clearly under sampled, with <50% of their expected richness already assessed. Endemic and endangered bat species are in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga, the most threatened biomes in Brazil. In addition to the seven nationally threatened bat species in Brazil, the situation for other species is worrisome: In a business‐as‐usual scenario, local extinctions in large portions of the country may happen before basic information gaps are filled.