Bat diversity (Order: Chiroptera) in a suburban area belonging to the Mexican Plateau

Abstract

Bats are the second most diverse order of mammals. There is evidence that bats assemblages are influenced by urbanization, exhibiting changes in species diversity. Some species show a strong degree of adaptation to urban habitats or are even favored by them. Our aim was to characterize the bat species composition present in the suburban park ‘’Ecoparque Centenario’’located on the Mexican Plateau, using two different methods of species identification. Over the course of one year, mist nets were set up, and echolocation pulses were recorded using an ultrasonic microphone. Species were identified based on their morphological characteristics and echolocation calls. Species accumulation curves were generated, and diversity indices were calculated based on both morphological and acoustic analyses. In total, 28 bat species belonging to four families were identified using both methods: Vespertilionidae (20 spp.), Molossidae (6 spp.), Mormoopidae (1 sp.) and Phyllostomidae (1 sp.). The family Vespertilionidae was more represented, and the diversity indices indicated moderated diversity without species dominance. In general, suburban areas have been shown to support higher bat diversity and activity due to an increase in potential prey availability, benefiting both generalist and specialist species. Most of the species identified are listed as Least Concern according to the IUCN, except Choeronycteris mexicana which is classified as Near Threatened. Considering this, Ecoparque Centenario represents an important area for bat conservation within a semiarid landscape.