RESUMO
Minas Gerais is the largest state in the Southeastern of Brazil, and its location in the transition between the humid coastal Atlantic Forest and the drier Western and central Brazilian countryside allows the occurrence of a rich mosaic of biomes and ecosystems that includes the Cerrado, the Caatinga, the Atlantic Forest, and karstic environments. This work is the first comprehensive compilation of the bat fauna of Minas Gerais state, Southeastern Brazil, including original data from surveys conducted independently by the authors, and published information documented with data from several museum collections. Although large areas of MG remains unsampled, unknown and/or unprotected, long term studies are virtually inexistent, and systematic inventories have not been documented to date, our results reveal high bat species richness for the state, with 77 species distributed in seven families. This indicates that MG has more bat species recorded than other Southeastern Brazilian states, a result that contrasts with the noticeable paucity of data for the state. The bat diverstity kept in museums does not mirror the actual bat diversity of MG, which thus urges to be properly acessed. Additionally, the collections examined were poorly represented in specimens from Minas Gerais and systematic series are rare.
Minas Gerais (MG) é o maior estado da região sudeste e sua localização em área de transição entre a faixa super úmida da costa e os ecossistemas mais áridos do centro-oeste brasileiro propicia a ocorrência de um rico mosaico de biomas e ecossistemas, incluindo o Cerrado, a Caatinga, a Mata Atlântica e áreas cársticas. Embora se saiba que a mastofauna de Minas Gerais é rica em espécies, não há uma lista de espécies de morcegos publicada, sendo esta a primeira compilação da fauna de quirópteros de MG. São aqui reunidos dados originais de inventários realizados independentemente pelos autores, informações da literatura e levantamento de espécimes depositados em várias coleções. Os resultados indicam a ocorrência de 77 espécies distribuídas em sete famílias em Minas Gerais, o que coloca o estado como o mais rico do sudeste brasileiro em número de espécies de morcegos. Essa riqueza surpreende também, devido ao fato constatado da escassez de dados disponíveis, conforme detectado no presente estudo. Grandes áreas do estado permanecem pouco conhecidas ou completamente desconhecidas em termos de sua quiropterofauna, incluindo ecossistemas frágeis associados à Caatinga, ao Cerrado e à Mata Atlântica, como os campos rupestres e áreas cársticas e não há sequer um estudo de longa duração. As coleções estudadas têm pouca representatividade em termos de espécimes oriundas do estado de Minas G
RESUMO
Minas Gerais is the largest state in the Southeastern of Brazil, and its location in the transition between the humid coastal Atlantic Forest and the drier Western and central Brazilian countryside allows the occurrence of a rich mosaic of biomes and ecosystems that includes the Cerrado, the Caatinga, the Atlantic Forest, and karstic environments. This work is the first comprehensive compilation of the bat fauna of Minas Gerais state, Southeastern Brazil, including original data from surveys conducted independently by the authors, and published information documented with data from several museum collections. Although large areas of MG remains unsampled, unknown and/or unprotected, long term studies are virtually inexistent, and systematic inventories have not been documented to date, our results reveal high bat species richness for the state, with 77 species distributed in seven families. This indicates that MG has more bat species recorded than other Southeastern Brazilian states, a result that contrasts with the noticeable paucity of data for the state. The bat diverstity kept in museums does not mirror the actual bat diversity of MG, which thus urges to be properly acessed. Additionally, the collections examined were poorly represented in specimens from Minas Gerais and systematic series are rare.
Minas Gerais (MG) é o maior estado da região sudeste e sua localização em área de transição entre a faixa super úmida da costa e os ecossistemas mais áridos do centro-oeste brasileiro propicia a ocorrência de um rico mosaico de biomas e ecossistemas, incluindo o Cerrado, a Caatinga, a Mata Atlântica e áreas cársticas. Embora se saiba que a mastofauna de Minas Gerais é rica em espécies, não há uma lista de espécies de morcegos publicada, sendo esta a primeira compilação da fauna de quirópteros de MG. São aqui reunidos dados originais de inventários realizados independentemente pelos autores, informações da literatura e levantamento de espécimes depositados em várias coleções. Os resultados indicam a ocorrência de 77 espécies distribuídas em sete famílias em Minas Gerais, o que coloca o estado como o mais rico do sudeste brasileiro em número de espécies de morcegos. Essa riqueza surpreende também, devido ao fato constatado da escassez de dados disponíveis, conforme detectado no presente estudo. Grandes áreas do estado permanecem pouco conhecidas ou completamente desconhecidas em termos de sua quiropterofauna, incluindo ecossistemas frágeis associados à Caatinga, ao Cerrado e à Mata Atlântica, como os campos rupestres e áreas cársticas e não há sequer um estudo de longa duração. As coleções estudadas têm pouca representatividade em termos de espécimes oriundas do estado de Minas G
RESUMO
Albinism has been observed in many vertebrate taxa, but is a rare phenomenon in bats. A recent review reports records of complete albinism in 38 species among the 1,045 bat species occurring in the world. We sampled the area of the Ecological Station of Aguas Emendadas, in Planaltina, northeast of Brasilia, Federal District of Brazil, in October of 2007 and January of 2008. Bats were captured using nine mist nets set at ground level, opened for six hours each night. Here we describe the first record of true albinism in an individual of Artibeus cinereus in the Brazilian Cerrado.
Albinism has been observed in many vertebrate taxa, but is a rare phenomenon in bats. A recent review reports records of complete albinism in 38 species among the 1,045 bat species occurring in the world. We sampled the area of the Ecological Station of Aguas Emendadas, in Planaltina, northeast of Brasilia, Federal District of Brazil, in October of 2007 and January of 2008. Bats were captured using nine mist nets set at ground level, opened for six hours each night. Here we describe the first record of true albinism in an individual of Artibeus cinereus in the Brazilian Cerrado.
RESUMO
Albinism has been observed in many vertebrate taxa, but is a rare phenomenon in bats. A recent review reports records of complete albinism in 38 species among the 1,045 bat species occurring in the world. We sampled the area of the Ecological Station of Aguas Emendadas, in Planaltina, northeast of Brasilia, Federal District of Brazil, in October of 2007 and January of 2008. Bats were captured using nine mist nets set at ground level, opened for six hours each night. Here we describe the first record of true albinism in an individual of Artibeus cinereus in the Brazilian Cerrado.
Albinism has been observed in many vertebrate taxa, but is a rare phenomenon in bats. A recent review reports records of complete albinism in 38 species among the 1,045 bat species occurring in the world. We sampled the area of the Ecological Station of Aguas Emendadas, in Planaltina, northeast of Brasilia, Federal District of Brazil, in October of 2007 and January of 2008. Bats were captured using nine mist nets set at ground level, opened for six hours each night. Here we describe the first record of true albinism in an individual of Artibeus cinereus in the Brazilian Cerrado.
RESUMO
Despite their great ecological and economical importance, there are only few specialized scientific publications dedicated to bats. Chiroptera Neotropical is the only one dedicated to the Neotropical bat fauna. The objective of the present study is to provide a balance of the contribution of Chiroptera Neotropical to bat research over the last 10 years, by analyzing its accomplishments and suggesting ways for its improvement. We surveyed all 52 contributions published in Chiroptera Neotropical from 1995 to 2005. The great majority of articles were written by authors based in South American institutions and most of them in Brazil. Most studies were species inventories, and most of the fieldwork researches were carried out in the Atlantic Forest. Chiroptera Neotropical is already an important medium for disseminating scientific knowledge on Neotropical bats. However, it is time for the journal to grow and to increase its importance in the international scientific community.
Despite their great ecological and economical importance, there are only few specialized scientific publications dedicated to bats. Chiroptera Neotropical is the only one dedicated to the Neotropical bat fauna. The objective of the present study is to provide a balance of the contribution of Chiroptera Neotropical to bat research over the last 10 years, by analyzing its accomplishments and suggesting ways for its improvement. We surveyed all 52 contributions published in Chiroptera Neotropical from 1995 to 2005. The great majority of articles were written by authors based in South American institutions and most of them in Brazil. Most studies were species inventories, and most of the fieldwork researches were carried out in the Atlantic Forest. Chiroptera Neotropical is already an important medium for disseminating scientific knowledge on Neotropical bats. However, it is time for the journal to grow and to increase its importance in the international scientific community.
RESUMO
Despite their great ecological and economical importance, there are only few specialized scientific publications dedicated to bats. Chiroptera Neotropical is the only one dedicated to the Neotropical bat fauna. The objective of the present study is to provide a balance of the contribution of Chiroptera Neotropical to bat research over the last 10 years, by analyzing its accomplishments and suggesting ways for its improvement. We surveyed all 52 contributions published in Chiroptera Neotropical from 1995 to 2005. The great majority of articles were written by authors based in South American institutions and most of them in Brazil. Most studies were species inventories, and most of the fieldwork researches were carried out in the Atlantic Forest. Chiroptera Neotropical is already an important medium for disseminating scientific knowledge on Neotropical bats. However, it is time for the journal to grow and to increase its importance in the international scientific community.
Despite their great ecological and economical importance, there are only few specialized scientific publications dedicated to bats. Chiroptera Neotropical is the only one dedicated to the Neotropical bat fauna. The objective of the present study is to provide a balance of the contribution of Chiroptera Neotropical to bat research over the last 10 years, by analyzing its accomplishments and suggesting ways for its improvement. We surveyed all 52 contributions published in Chiroptera Neotropical from 1995 to 2005. The great majority of articles were written by authors based in South American institutions and most of them in Brazil. Most studies were species inventories, and most of the fieldwork researches were carried out in the Atlantic Forest. Chiroptera Neotropical is already an important medium for disseminating scientific knowledge on Neotropical bats. However, it is time for the journal to grow and to increase its importance in the international scientific community.