Differences in body mass among the frugivorous bats Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from an urban and a peri-urban area of Cúcuta, Colombia

Abstract

We report differences in body mass of two species of fruit bats, Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata, from two fragments of tropical dry forest (TDF) located in urban and peri-urban areas of the city of Cúcuta, Colombia. From January to September 2018 bat sampling was carried out using mist nets to captured and weigh individuals in the field. The analysis was based only on adults who were not in a reproductive state. We found that both males and females of each species had a higher body mass in the peri-urban area than in the urban area. This highlights the importance of testing subsequent hypotheses to explain the body mass variations reported in this note in response to effects related to diet, diseases, and changes in land use, among others.