Published in Chiroptera Neotropical 2(1): 39-41

Bats from the Metropolitan Region of Săo Paulo, Southeastern Brazil

Miriam M. S. Silva
Necira M. S. Harmani
Elizabeth F.B.Gonçalves
Centro de Controle de Zoonoses, Prefeitura de Săo Paulo, Rua Santa Eulalia, no 86, 02031-020, Săo Paulo, SP, Brazil

Wilson Uieda
Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biocięncias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 18618-000- Botucatu- SP, Brazil.

In 1988, the Zoonosis Control Center of Săo Paulo (CCZ), initiated the identification of bats and the study of their biology, as well as the analysis of diseases transmitted by these animals, in the metropolitan region of Săo Paulo. This service was created as a result of complaints from inhabitants concerning the presence of bats in dwellings, buildings and trees lining urban streets. Moreover, several cases of rabies in insectivorous bats have recently been detected in the same region (Almeida et al. 1994, Uieda et al. 1995, Martorelli et al. 1995). This paper contains a list of bat species encountered in Săo Paulo between 1988 and 1995, as well as data on feeding habits and their occurrence in the metropolitan area.

The city of Săo Paulo (23ş32'S; 46ş37' W), located in the state of Săo Paulo, Southeastern Brazil (Figure 1), contains around 9,5 million inhabitants spread over a surface area of 1.500 km2 (IBGE 1991). Due to its expansion, it has encroached on various satellite towns, forming an extensive metropolitan area known as Greater Săo Paulo. A total of 301 bats, sent by municipal authorities or captured by CCZ and the Núcleos Regionais de Zoonoses de Săo Paulo, were examined by specialists from the CCZ and the Núcleos Regionais de Zoonoses de Săo Paulo. Feeding habits were defined following Wilson (1973).

Twenty-four species (Table I), belonging to four families were collected: Molossidae (71,4%), Phyllostomidae (23,6%), Vespertilionidae (4,7%) and Noctilionidae (0,3%). Aerial insectivorous bats (Molossidae and Vespertilionidae) were the majority, representing 76,1% of the total.

The presence of aerial insectivorous bats in the metropolitan region of Săo Paulo can be explained by the wide availability of structures offering suitable roosting conditions, primarily the heat-expansion walls in large buildings (capable of housing major colonies), and year-round food supplies (urban street lights function as light-trap for several species of insects).

According to Taddei (1993), anthropophilic habits are most widespread among the Molossidae, specially the genus Molossus (M. molossus and M. ater ). Our data confirm these findings. Similar observations were made by Bredt & Uieda (1996) in the Distrito Federal, Midwestern Brazil. The wide flight space in urban centers surely propitiate the predatory behavior of aerial insectivorous bats (Molossidae and Vespertilionidae, Table I).

Seven species of phytophagous bats (frugivorous and nectarivorous) were encountered in Săo Paulo (table I). The presence of the two most common species is facilitated by different factors. Glossophaga soricina prefers shelters offered by cellars and lofts in residential dwellings, and flower nectar as its prime food source, while the Artibeus lituratus prefers to inhabit the crowns of trees, and largely depends on fruit. In Brasilia, the most common species are A. lituratus and Platyrrhinus lineatus (Bredt & Uieda, 1996), although both exhibit similar predilections in terms of food and shelter. In this case, G. soricina appears to be jeopardized by the relative scarcity of houses with cellars and/or lofts (apartment buildings of between three and 6 floors are the housing norm) in Brasília. Phytophagous bats exploit a variety of trees which are used in urban planting, as well as fruit-bearing trees in back yards. Rodrigues et al. (1994) verified that 33% of Brasilia's trees, comprising 54 different species, can offer suitable food for the species. Taddei (1983) and Sazima et al. (1994), also listed various plant species which are consumed by A. lituratus in urban areas. Adequate planning of urban tree planting is necessary to prevent the phytophagous bat population from increasing in these areas. Such measures would reduce the disturbance they cause to the human population, as well as alleviating public health problems. Trees which attract bats would be suitable for squares or parks, far from residential areas and thoroughfares.

Urban insectivorous bats may bring a certain amount of discomfort to the human population, such as the accumulation of feces in residences, an unpleasant odor, mass flights and vocal noise, not to mention the possibility of disease, such as rabies and histoplasmosis. In Greater Săo Paulo, four cases of rabies were detected in insectivorous bats: two cases in Nyctinomops macrotis captured in the central area of Săo Paulo city, one in N. laticaudatus in the town of Guarulhos (Uieda et al. 1995) and one in Myotis nigricans from Ribeirăo Pires city (Martorelli et al. 1995). No records are available on the incidence of histoplasmosis in this region. This disease is caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum which develops in bat feces under certain conditions (see Constantine 1970, 1988). At least seven species in our list (M. molossus, T. brasiliensis, N. laticaudatus, G. soricina, D. rotundus, C. perspicillata and E. brasiliensis) have figured in the literature concerning the isolation of H. capsulatum (Constantine 1988).

Only one of the three hematophagous species (Desmodus rotundus) has been encountered in the urban area of Săo Paulo, with occurrences both in the downtown area (Uieda et al. 1992) and the periphery. In the downtown area, the bat fed on horses of the Military Police (Uieda et al. 1992) while in the more outlying areas their food source included domestic animals such as chickens, pigs and sleeping dogs (Greenhall 1993). In Rio de Janeiro, various exotic animals in the local zoo were also bitten by D. rotundus (Greenhall, 1993). Although there are no recorded instances of human attacks by the latter species in Greater Săo Paulo, it would be wise to take severe precautions, since such attacks appear to have taken place in Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, other major urban centers in Southeastern Brazil (Uieda, 1995). Desmodus rotundus is the main vector of rabies in domestic animals in Latin America (Taddei, 1983; Acha & Malaga-Alba, 1988). Cases of bovine rabies are frequent in the rural areas surrounding several megalopolis, including Săo Paulo. Recent data from the National Health Foundation (Health Ministry) indicate that bats (both hematophagous and non hematophagous) are the second leading transmitters of human rabies in Brazil.

The monitoring of bat species and their feeding habits in urban areas has been a valuable tool in the conservation and management of bat species, as well as in the installation of effective epidemiological surveillance, to avoid possible future public health problems.

Figure 1. Location of Săo Paulo city.

Table I. Bats from the metropolitan area of Săo Paulo, southeastern Brazil, their feeding habits and occurence.

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