BATS FROM ALAGOAS STATE, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL: UPDATED CHECKLIST BASED ON LITERATURE, COLLECTIONS, AND ACOUSTIC RECORDS.

The state of Alagoas in northeastern Brazil includes areas of the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest biomes. Research on the bat fauna of Alagoas is still incipient compared to the neighboring states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, and Pernambuco, and the diversity and ecology of the state's bats are still practically unknown. In the present study, we provide a updated checklist of bat species from Alagoas state, collecting localities, and compared the bat species richness with that recorded in other regions to increase the available knowledge on the fauna of the state. For this purpose, we made a comprehensive compilation of previous studies and reviewed the material (e.g., skins, skulls, and humid specimens) deposited in the scientific collections of federal universities and museums. We also conducted acoustic sampling in the municipalities of Piranhas, Olho d'Água do Casado, Arapiraca, and Japaratinga. We recorded a total of 66 species belonging to 40 genera and eight families in Alagoas. Twelve species were recorded for the first time in the state, eight of which were confirmed from scientific collections and four by acoustic sampling. This represents an increase of 13 species for the Caatinga of Alagoas compared to published data. The records are distributed in 60 localities, most of which are in the Atlantic Forest region, in 31 of the 102 municipalities of the state. The most diverse family is Phyllostomidae (38 species), followed by Molossidae (10 species), Vespertilionidae (6 species), Emballonuridae (6 species), Mormoopidae (2 species), Noctilionidae (2 species), Natalidae (1 species), and Thyropteridae (1 species). Although not confirmed in this study, records of Furipteridae from neighboring regions suggest that this family may also occur in natural cavities of karstic zones of Alagoas. This state represents only 0.32 % of the territorial area of Brazil, but hosts 36.26 % of the bat species recognized in the country. The increase in the known species richness of Chiroptera in Alagoas presented here highlights the importance of analyzing scientific collections and the use of acoustic methods to obtain the most comprehensive inventory of the bat fauna of a given area. Based on these results, we recommend potential lines of research to ensure a more comprehensive sampling of bat fauna of the Brazilian state of Alagoas, particularly, in the Caatinga biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]