| dc.description.abstract | An updated list of the bats of northwestern Durango, based on recent collections and
literature records, is presented. A total of 43 species were recorded, five for the first time in the state
(Balantiopteryx plicata, Artibeus hirsutus, Artibeus intermedius, Chiroderma salvini, and Myotis carteri).
Comparisons with other intensively sampled localities across Mexico indicate that species richness in the
Sierra Madre Occidental of northwestern Durango is comparable to that of Mexican rainforests,
resulting from high diversity of habitats in relatively small areas. Species composition in this region is
dominated by vespertilionid and molossid bats, whereas phyllostomids dominate tropical rainforests;
thus, species assemblages are considerably different. Moreover, anthropogenic pressure is comparatively
lower than in most of the humid tropics of Mexico. Nonetheless, no protected area exists that includes
the complete spectrum of habitats of the region. An immediate conservation strategy is urgently needed
if this largely unknown region of Mexico is to be preserved. | |
