Ensamblaje de murciélagos en un bosque subandino colombiano y análisis sobre la dieta de algunas especies

Assemblages of tropical bats are characterized by their high richness and trophic diversity. Most research has focused on lowland forests, while bat assemblages in more threatened habitats, such as Andean forests, have been less studied. Thus, dietary records of, and comparisons among, poorly know montane species are still lacking. We investigated the structure and composition of a bat assemblage in a humid Andean forest in Colombia from November 2004 until May 2005 and recorded the diet of frugivorous species. The assemblage showed high species richness (20 species) and high diversity (H' = 3.24) if compared to other studies in similar mountain ecosystems. The diet of the genus Sturnira and Carollia brevicauda showed the tight association to species from Solanaceae and Piper, respectively, as it has been found at other sites in the Neotropics. Stenodermatines were associated to Cecropia telealba and a fig species. The former plus Piper aduncum were the most important food source for the frugivorous guild. We comment on species distributions, dietary associations and possible resource. partitioning among frugivores, as well as on the phenology of the most important food plants.