Abstract
Myotis ruber is a widely distributed bat in South America, but it is considered rare and its natural history is virtually unknown. These factors contribute to the classification of the species as vulnerable regionally and nearthreatened globally. In this context, the aim of this note is to present new data about the reproductive biology of M. ruber, thus expanding the knowledge about its natural history and, consequently, contributing to the conservation of the species. After an extensive effort to capture bats in southern Brazil, we captured 40 individuals of M. ruber. Pregnant females (n=17) were observed mainly in October in different years. In addition, seven immature individuals were captured. Based on our results, it is expected that the species will fit the general pattern for bats determined by climate and food resources, but our data do not allow us to assign conclusive reproductive patterns. Although not conclusive, the information presented in this note represents the first opportunity to gather breeding information about this rare and threatened species.
Our thanks to Rafael Ferigollo and Ignácio A. Bernardi for logistical support, Eduardo Grotto and Suelen H. Roani for help with the fieldwork and Geruza L. Melo and two anonymous referees for suggestions on improving the manuscript. CNPq provided a grant for J.M.D.M. and F.C.P. (303757/2012-4), and CAPES provided a scholarship for I.P.B., J.S. and F.A.F.J.
References
Barclay, R.M.R. and L.D. Harder. 2003. Life histories of bats: life in the slow lane. In: (T.H. Kunz and M.B. Fenton, eds.) Bat ecology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. pp.209–253.Search in Google Scholar
Barquez, R.M. and M. Diaz. 2008. Myotis ruber. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN red list of threatened species, version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>.Search in Google Scholar
Barquez, R.M., M.A. Mares and J.K. Braun. 1999. The bats of Argentina. Spec. Publ. Mus. Texas Tech Univ. 42: 1–275.10.5962/bhl.title.142628Search in Google Scholar
Bernardi, I.P., A. Pulchério-Leite, J.M.D. Miranda and F.C. Passos. 2007. Ampliação da distribuição de Molossops neglectus Williams e Genoways (Chiroptera, Molossidae) para o Sul da América do Sul. Rev. Bras. Zool. 24: 505–507.Search in Google Scholar
Bernardi, I.P., J.M.D. Miranda, J. Sponchiado, E. Grotto, F.A.F. Jacomassa, E.M. Teixeira, S.H. Roani and F.C. Passos. 2009. Morcegos de Frederico Westphalen, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil: Riqueza e utilização de abrigos. Biota Neotrop 9: 1–7.Search in Google Scholar
Bianconi, G.V. and W.A. Pedro. 2007. Família Vespertilionidae. In: (N.R. Reis, A.L. Peracchi, W.A. Pedro and L.P. Lima, eds.) Morcegos do Brasil. Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil. pp. 167–195.Search in Google Scholar
Biggers, J.D. 1966. Reproduction in male marsupials. Symp. Zool. Soc. 15: 251–280.Search in Google Scholar
Chiarello, A.G., L.M.S. Aguiar, R. Cerqueira, F.R. Melo, F.H.G. Rodrigues and V.M.F. Silva. 2008. Mamiferos ameaçados de extinção no Brasil. In: (A. Machado, G.M. Drummond and A.P. Paglia, eds.) Livro Vermelho da fauna brasileira ameaçada de extinção. FNMA/Fundação Biodiversitas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. pp. 681–874.Search in Google Scholar
Fazzolari-Corrêa, S. 1995. Aspectos sistemáticos, ecológicos e reprodutivos de morcegos na Mata Atlântica. Tese de Doutorado. Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. pp. 168.Search in Google Scholar
Fleming, T.H., E.T. Hooper and D.E. Wilson. 1972. Three Central American bat communities: structure, reproductive cycles, and movement patterns. Ecology 53: 553–569.Search in Google Scholar
González, E.M. 2001. Guía de campo de los mamíferos de Uruguay. Vida Silvestre, Sociedade Uruguaya para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, Montevideo, Uruguay. pp. 339.Search in Google Scholar
Happold, D.C.D. and M. Happold. 1990. Reproductive strategies of bats from Africa. J. Zool. 222: 557–583.10.1111/j.1469-7998.1990.tb06014.xSearch in Google Scholar
Krutzsch, P.H. 2000. Anatomy, physiology and cyclicity of the male reproductive tract. In: (E.G. Crichton and P.H. Krutzsch, eds.) Reproductive biology of bats. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. pp. 91–155.Search in Google Scholar
Kunz, T.H. 1988. Ecological and behavioral methods for the study of bats. 2nd ed. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. pp. 533.Search in Google Scholar
LaVal, R. 1973. A revision of the Neotropical bats of the genus Myotis. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles County 15: 1–54.Search in Google Scholar
López-González, C., S.J. Presley, R.D. Owen and M.R. Willig. 2001. The taxonomic status of Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Paraguay. J. Mammal. 82: 138–160.10.1644/1545-1542(2001)082<0138:TSOMCV>2.0.CO;2Search in Google Scholar
Loudon, A.S.I. and P.A. Racey. 1987. Reproductive energetics in mammals. Symp. Zool. Soc., London., No. 57. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. pp. 371.Search in Google Scholar
Mares, M.A., R.M. Barquez and J.K. Braun. 1995. Distribution and ecology of some Argentine bats (Mammalia). Ann. Carnegie Mus. 64: 219–237.10.5962/p.226638Search in Google Scholar
Miranda, J.M.D., I.P. Bernardi and F.C. Passos. 2009. Plano de conservação para morcegos. In: (Intituto Ambiental do Paraná, ed.), Planos de conservação para espécies de mamíferos ameaçados. IAP/Projeto Paraná Biodiversidade, Curitiba, Brazil. pp. 31–43.Search in Google Scholar
Moratelli, R., A.L. Peracchi, D. Dias and J.A. Oliveira. 2011. Geographic variation in South American populations of Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821) (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with the description of two new species. Mamm. Biol. 76: 592–607.Search in Google Scholar
Myers, P. 1977. Patterns of reproduction of four species of vespertilionid bats in Paraguay. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 107: 1–41.Search in Google Scholar
Pacheco, S.M. and T.R.O. Freitas. 2003. Quirópteros. In: (C.S. Fontana, G.A. Bencke and R.E. Reis, eds.) Livro vermelho da fauna ameaçada de extinção no Rio Grande do Sul. EDIPUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil. pp. 483–497.Search in Google Scholar
Paglia, A.P., G.A.B. Fonseca, A.B. Rylands, G. Herrmann, L.M.S. Aguiar, A.G. Chiarello, Y.L.R. Leite, L.P. Costa, S. Siciliano, M.C.M. Kierulff, S.L. Mendes, V.C. Tavares, R.A. Mittermeier and J.L. Patton. 2012. Lista anotada dos mamíferos do Brasil/Annotated checklist of Brazilian mammals. 2a edição/2nd ed. Occasional Papers in Conservation Biology, No. 6. Conservation International, Arlington, VA. pp. 76.Search in Google Scholar
Passos, F.C., W.R. Silva, W.A. Pedro and M.R. Bonin. 2003. Frugivoria em morcegos (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) no Parque Estadual Intervales, sudeste do Brasil. Rev. Bras. Zool. 20: 511–517.Search in Google Scholar
Racey, P.A. and A.C. Entwistle. 2000. Life-history and reproductive strategies of bats. In: (E.G. Crichton and P.H. Krutzch, eds.) Reproductive biology of bats. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. pp. 363–414.Search in Google Scholar
Reis, N.R., M.L.S. Barbieri, I.P. Lima and A.L. Peracchi. 2003. O que é melhor para manter a riqueza de espécies de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera): um fragmento florestal grande ou vários fragmentos de pequeno tamanho? Rev. Bras. Zool. 20: 225–230.Search in Google Scholar
Rice, D.W. 1957. Life history and ecology of Myotis austroriparius in Florida. J. Mammal. 38: 15–32.10.2307/1376471Search in Google Scholar
Silva, F. 1994. Mamíferos silvestres: Rio Grande do Sul. Publicações Avulsas FZB, N. 7. Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. pp. 246.Search in Google Scholar
Simmons, N.B. 2005. Order Chiroptera. In: (D.E. Wilson and D.M. Reeder, eds.) Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD. pp. 312–529.Search in Google Scholar
Tuttle, M.D. and D. Stevenson. 1982. Growth and survival of bats. In: (T.H. Kunz, ed.) Ecology of bats. Plenum Press, New York. pp. 105–150.Search in Google Scholar
Wallauer, J.P. and E.P. Albuquerque. 1986. Lista preliminar dos mamíferos observados no Parque Florestal Estadual do Turvo, Tenente Portela, RS, Brasil. Roessléria 8: 179–185.Search in Google Scholar
Weber, M.M., J. Arruda and N.C. Cáceres. 2007. Ampliação da distribuição de quatro espécies de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 7: 293–296.10.1590/S1676-06032007000200032Search in Google Scholar
Weber, M.M., L.C. Terribile and N.C. Cáceres. 2010. Potential geographic distribution of Myotis ruber (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), a threatened Neotropical bat species. Mammalia 74: 333–338.Search in Google Scholar
Willig, M.R. 1985. Reproductive patterns of bats from Caatingas and Cerrado biomes of northeastern Brazil. J. Mammal. 66: 668–681.10.2307/1380793Search in Google Scholar
Wilson, D.E. 2008. Genus Myotis Kaup, 1829. In: (A.L. Gardner, ed.) Mammals of South America. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. pp. 468–481.Search in Google Scholar
Wilson, D.E. and R.K. LaVal. 1974. Myotis nigricans. Mamm. Spec. 39: 1–3.10.2307/3503847Search in Google Scholar
©2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston