Population structure and reproduction of the hairy fruit-eating bat, Artibeus hirsutus, in central-western Mexico

Abstract

The hairy fruit-eating bat Artibeus hirsutus is endemic to Mexico and is considered a rare species. The little biological and ecological data on this species does not provide much information on its conservation status. The objective of this work was to evaluate the population structure and reproductive activity of a colony of A. hirsutus in west-central Mexico. We visited 12 times Isla Grande Atoyac, Jalisco. The individuals were captured inside the 2 caves with bucket traps or by hand directly from the cave roof, and with mist nets placed within the vegetation. We marked 77 individuals (67 adults, 5 juveniles, and 5 newborns), of which 34 were recaptured. The pooled recapture rate was 58.47%, and it increased from March to October and decreased in November and December. The minimum-number-alive value was higher in February (34) and lower in October (5), with an average of 21.1 individuals. Among the adult bats, 25.3% were males and 74.6% were females, with an overall female-biased sex ratio of 1:3.2. Sexual dimorphism was observed, with a significantly greater forearm length in females (55.7 mm) than males (54.4 mm). The study population showed a seasonal bimodal polyestry reproductive pattern.