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The majority (90%) of native terrestrial mammal species living in the Dominican Republic are bats, and two-thirds of these species are endemic to the Caribbean. However, recent molecular studies using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene have suggested at least a 25% underestimation of biodiversity in bats throughout the world. A recent survey of bats in the Dominican Republic documented 15 of the 18 known species on the island of Hispaniola. Phylogenetic analysis of 132 individuals resulted in well-supported monophyletic species-level clades (maximal bootstrap values) with intraspecific variation ranging from 0% to 4.7% and interspecific variation ranging from 14.1% to 32.5%. A phylogeographic pattern separating the northern and southern Dominican Republic was recovered in 3 species of bats (Macrotus waterhousii, Pteronotus parnellii, and Pteronotus quadridens). The inclusion of broader geographic sampling across the Neotropics indicated that 3 widely distributed species (Eptesicus fuscus, Molossus molossus, and Monophyllus redmani) have high sequence divergence among insular or between insular and continental populations. Further systematic study is needed to identify morphologically cryptic species and their implications for conservation priorities in the Caribbean.

Molecular approaches, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), allow biologists to analyze the diet of mammals in more detail than conventional techniques, by targeting DNA of prey found within feces. Diets of the Antillean ghost-faced bat (Mormoops blainvillei) and sooty mustached bat (Pteronotus quadridens) on Puerto Rico were determined via PCR, and resulting sequences of DNA were compared with those in the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD). We identified 21 species consumed by M. blainvillei and 4 by P. quadridens, although an additional 12 sequences were identified to genus or family. Seven taxa in the diet of these bats were of agricultural or human-health concern. All sequences, including those that did not match a reference insect in BOLD, were collapsed into molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) and used to demonstrate that dietary breadth (Levin's measure) of M. blainvillei was 18% less than that of P. quadridens and that dietary overlap (Schoener's index) between species was ...

Dietary differentiation can be a key mechanism for the coexistence of syntopic species with similar niches. On the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, three species of bat from the family Mormoopidae — the Antillean ghost-faced bat (Mormoops blainvillei), sooty mustached bat (Pteronotus quadridens), and Parnell's mustached bat (Pteronotus parnellii portoricensis) — are aerial insectivores that roost in the same caves. To investigate the possibility of dietary differentiation, we estimated the percent volume and percent frequency of occurrence of the orders of arthropods consumed by these three species of bat, using standard fecal analysis. We also compared dietary diversity among species, as well as the amount of dietary overlap, with respect to season and habitat. Lastly, this study used canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), a method of ordination, to assess the effects of species, sex, age, reproductive condition, season, and habitat on intraspecific differences in the diet of the Puerto Rican Mormoopidae. Eight orders of arthropods were found in the diet of these mormoopids, with Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera being major staples. The CCA revealed differences in diet among the three species, suggesting that dietary differentiation is at least one mechanism for coexistence. In addition, the variables habitat and season correlated significantly with the diet of M. blainvillei and P. quadridens, whereas habitat and sex correlated with the diet of P. p. portoricensis. Thus, our study shows dietary differences among the three species of Mormoopidae living in the same caves on Puerto Rico, as well as intraspecific differences within the diet of each species.

Free-roaming cats are known to adversely impact native faunas in the areas where they have been introduced, an impact that is even greater on islands. We examine the predation of bats by cats at Culebrones cave, Puerto Rico, West Indies. Culebrones cave is a hot cave located in the karst region of northern Puerto Rico. The temperature gradient inside the cave sustains a multi-species assemblage of bats consisting of approximately 300,000 individuals of six species, namely: Brachyphylla cavernarum, Erophylla bombifrons, Monophyllus redmani, Mormoops blainvillei, Pteronotus quadridens and Pteronotus parnellii. Even though rats are often their primary prey, cats will use alternative prey, which enables them to maintain their abundance when one prey is not available. In Puerto Rico, birds and reptiles are known to be preyed upon by cats. Although cats are commonly observed in or around bat caves in Puerto Rico, this is the first systematic attempt to evaluate their role as bat predators. We made observations of the hunting strategy of cats using an infrared camera and recorded the number of wings left as remains of these hunting bouts. Wings were identified to species. Cat scats were also recovered and examined to identify prey species. Our results suggest that captures of different species of bats is not a function of their abundance in the cave. While M. blainvillei (11 g) and P. quadridens (5 g) are the most abundant species in the cave, B. cavernarum (50 g) and M. redmani (11 g) are captured in greater numbers by the cats.

Bats are receiving increasing attention in the parasitological world due to their potential role as reservoir hosts for zoonotic pathogens. However, details of the macroparasitic fauna (helminths and ectoparasites) are currently recorded and studied. Here, we start to address this paucity of data by detailing a study where we have documented the macroparasite fauna of a sample of tropical bats (Mormoops blainvillei, Pteronotus quadridens, and Monophyllus redmani) from Puerto Rico. Additionally, we investigated the possible host characteristics influencing the prevalence and intensity of macroparasite infection. Macroparasites were collected and identified from three species of bat, which were thoroughly washed and dissected. The overall parasite community of all three bat species consisted of a range of ectoparasites as well as the cestode Vampirolepis christensoni and the nematode Capillaria pusilla, although there was considerable variation in the parasite community of each individual species. We discovered bat flies of a previously undescribed species of the Nycterophilia genus as well as new parasite records for all three species of bats. All parasites had an aggregated distribution within the host population. Differences were observed in the intensity of the helminths between bat species, but not for ectoparasite prevalence. As the helminth intensity increased so the ectoparasite intensity decreased. Overall, the helminth intensity was female-biased and increased, for both sexes with increasing body mass; no sex-bias or body mass effects were associated with ectoparasite prevalence.

Echolocation calls were recorded from Pteronotus quadridens flying in the field and in an enclosed space. In the field, search calls contained 1 or 2 harmonics. Patterns of call design show a segment of quasi–constant frequency (QCF2nd-harmonic at 81–84 kHz), followed by a downward frequency-modulated (FM) component. The 2nd harmonic was always more intense than the 1st. Search, approach, and terminal phases of calls were described during hunting sequences of P. quadridens. The transition between call phases was characterized by monotonic variations in some acoustic parameters, including a decrease in call duration and an increase in repetition rate, bandwidth, and slope of the FM component. We also analyzed calls emitted by bats flying in confined spaces that consistently contained 3 harmonics, of which the 2nd harmonic contained the greatest energy. The values of call duration were shorter and bandwidth was higher than values characterizing calls emitted during the search phase in the field.

I surveyed use of caves by bats in Puerto Rico. The exact location of each species of bat within the roost was determined for 17 caves. A comparison of variance was performed on the data to test the null hypothesis that occurrence of each species was independent of the others. Nonrandom associations were common among cave-dwelling bats in Puerto Rico. The species showing the strongest associations— Monophyllus redmani, Mormoops blainvillii , and Pteronotus quadridens and Erophylla sezekorni and P. parnellii —were associated with hot caves.