Identificación y caracterización de refugios de quirópteros en la Ciudad de Corrientes, Argentina

Bastiani, C.E.; Ramirez, N.N.; Alegre, E.A.; Ruiz, R.M.: Identification and charac - terization of bats shelters in Corrientes City, Argentina. Rev. vet. 23: 2, 104-109, 2012. In Argentina there are few studies regarding bats and the ecological aspects related to them. The objectives of this study were to determine and characterize bat shelters and to identify inhabiting species, as well as to establish data regarding current urban ecology of these mammals in Corrientes, Argentina. Through direct observations and interviews conducted randomly in different neighborhoods, shelters were located during the period of March 2010 to May 2012. Height where shelters were located was considered, and they were classified into "natural" and "artificial", inhabited or not by man. Species of trees used as shelters, dis - tance between them and human dwellings and genus and species of bats were considered for this study. Animal trapping was lower during winter. Thirty eight shelters were identified, being 53% natural and 47% artificial, with no significant differences (p<0.05). Seven species of trees were identified, being Fraxinus americana the most frequent with favorable charac- teristics for insects.Natural shelters were located mostly 10 m from buildings and at a height greater than 5 m. A total of 76 bats were captured, belonging to 3 families and 9 species, be- ing 93% of them insectivorous. Two species were found to share shelters, Eumops patagoni-