Acoustic characterization of new species of bats for the ]state of Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

Biodiversity inventories are sometimes biased by the various collection methods applied. In the case of the bats, the acoustic monitoring technique has proven to be complementary to conventional sampling. From July 2007 to June 2008, we studied the composition of a bat community in the southern region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. We registered 32 species of bats belonging to six families. Thirteen species of the family Phyllostomidae were captured in mist nets, while three species of the family of Emballonuridae, one species of family Noctilionidae and six of the family Molossidae were recorded by acoustic monitoring. Four species of the family Mormoopidae and five of the Vespertilionidae were registered with both methods. Through acoustic monitoring two new species are added to the 93 already known to the state of Oaxaca: Molossus molossus and M. sinaloae were registered in areas with tropical deciduous forest and gallery vegetation in two areas protected by native communities. These sites protected by local initiatives, turns out to be a good strategy of conservation for bats and other taxonomic groups.