Abstract

WITT, André Alberto  and  FABIAN, Marta Elena. Food habits and use of roosts by Chrotopterus auritus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae). Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2010, vol.17, n.2, pp.353-360. ISSN 0327-9383.

Chrotopterus auritus (Peters, 1856) (Phyllostomidae, Chiroptera) is the only species of carnivorous bat recorded in Rio Grande do Sul state. In this work we identified the diet Ítems and observed their spatial distribution within roosting sites at daytime. We monitored seven caves, every fifteen days, from may/2002 to april/2003, in Machadinho and Barracáo counties, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The diet was inferred from fecal samples (n=67) and food remains (n=63). Mammals, birds and arthropods, composed the diet of the C. auritus. C. auritus did not show preference by food Ítems, such as mammals, birds or arthropods, because there were no significant differences among them in fecal samples. The result was similar when comparing the presence of these Ítems between seasons. Rodents, Passeriformes and Coleopterans were the prevailing Ítems in the diet of the C. auritus. Fruits were consumed occasionally, about 5.9% of the total of the samples. C. auritus was, during the whole study period, present in the studied caves, varying in number of individuáis and shelters. Cohabitation with Desmodus rotundus and Myotis nigricans was observed.

Keywords : Carnivory; Caves; Diet; Predation.

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