Bat assemblage (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in a degraded restinga in southern Brazil

Abstract

Data on mammals in Brazilian Restinga are scarce, especially on chiropterans. This study aims to analyze the composition of bat assemblages in a degraded environment of Restinga in southern Brazil. The samplings were carried out in the municipality of Jaguaruna, southern coast of the Santa Catarina state, from 2006 to 2016. Bats were captured in mist nets at understory layer. Richness, abundance and frequency were considered in order to describe the bat assemblage structure. We captured 514 individuals from two families, eight genera and 14 species. Species accumulation curve did not show tendency to asymptote. Artibeus lituratus, Sturnira lilium and Artibeus fimbriatus were classified as frequent species, Myotis nigricans was the unique species considered less frequent and all other species were classified as rare in the study. Although the sampling sites show high levels of anthropic influence, the data obtained indicate that both areas shelter a representative bat fauna of coastal environments in Brazil. Thus, the results reinforce the need of actions to diminish deleterious effects from anthropic pressure in Restinga remnants. © 2017, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. All rights reserved.