Keywords
bats
snakes
birds
mammals
How to Cite
Abstract
"Los Laguitos" is a hot cave located near of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. The cave is used as refugee by nine species of bats, with a population greater than 100 000 individuals at any time of year. Seven vertebrate predators that feed on bats were registered in the cave in 225 visits along 14 years. The lyre snake, Trimorphodon biscutatus, and the ferruginous pygmy-owl, Glaucidium brasilianum, were encountered all times. The common opossum, Didelphis marsupialis was the next most observed species followed by, the domestic cat (Felis catus), the boa constrictor (Boa constrictor), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and lesser roadrunner (Geococcyx velox). Mormoops megallophylla, Pteronotus davyi, P. parnellii, Artibeus jamaicensis, Leptonycteris yerbabuenae and Natalus mexicanus were the bat species captured by these predators, while Balantiopteryx plicata, P. personatus and Glossophaga soricina don’t were detected in the carcasses. From the seven vertebrate predators registered in the cave, we consider the domestic cat as the more dangerous for this community.
References
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