Bats from Southern Haiti David Klingener University of Massachusetts - Amherst

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Mammalogy Papers: University of Nebraska State Museum, University of Nebraska State Museum 3-10-1978 Bats from Southern Haiti David Klingener University of Massachusetts - Amherst Hugh H. Genoways University of Nebraska - Lincoln, [email protected] Robert J. Baker Texas Tech University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/museummammalogy Part of the Biodiversity Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Klingener, David; Genoways, Hugh H.; and Baker, Robert J., "Bats from Southern Haiti" (1978). Mammalogy Papers: University of Nebraska State Museum. 178. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/museummammalogy/178 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Museum, University of Nebraska State at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mammalogy Papers: University of Nebraska State Museum by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Klingener, Genoways & Baker in Annals of the Carnegie Museum (March 10, 1978) 47(article 5). Copyright 1978, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Used by permission. ISSN 0097-4463 ANNALS of CARNEGIE MUSEUM CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 4400 FORBES AVENUE. PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15213 VOLUME 47 10 MARCH 1978 ARTICLE j BATS FROM SOUTHERN HAITI DAVID KUNGENER 1 HUGH H. GENOWAYS Curator, Section of Mammals ROBERT J. BAKER' Research Associate, Section of Mammals ABSTRACT A collection of 450 specimens of bats from the Departement du Sud, Haiti, is de scribed. Fifteen of the 17 species previously recorded from Hispaniola are represented, and Noctilio leporinus is reported from Haiti for the first time. Reproductive information for the months of January, May, June, August, and December is presented. Macrotus waterhousii is seasonally monoestrous, as on the mainland. The two species of stenodennines, Artibeus jamaicensis and Phyllops hailiensis, do not show bimodal seasonal polyestry as do stenodermines in Central America. Monophyllus redmani and the phyllonycterines may be seasonally monoestrous. Differences in reproductive biol ogy between Haitian bats and closely related species on the Central American mainland may be correlated with differences in climate between the two areas. INTRODUCTION Studies of the systematics, biogeography, and ecology of Antillean bats are often hampered by a paucity of data. It became possible re cently to collect bats intensively in the Departement du Sud, Republic of Haiti, an area hitherto poorly known mammalogically. We present the results of our collections and analyses, including mensural data for 1 Department of Zoology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002. 2 The Museum, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409. 81 82 ANNALS OF CARNEGIE MUSEU~ VOL. 47 series of bats of some species known previously from isolated speci mens, and reproductive data for some species from the months of January, May, June, August, and December. Owing to the difficulties of working in Haiti, most past collections of bats from Hispaniola were made in the Dominican Republic. Recent work in the Republic of Haiti dates from Miller's (1918, 1929) reports on bats found as skulls on the floors of caves near Port-de-Paix and St. Michel de I'AtaJaye. In 1939 Ivan T. Sanderson collected in southern Haiti using a 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost as his field vehicle (San derson, 1939). Sanderson's bats were discussed by Sanborn (1941) and Hershkovitz (1951). In 1955 Koopman reported on a 1929 collection of cave remains of bats from the lie de la Gonave. To our knowledge, no extensive netting of Haitian bats was done prior to 1973. Between 29 December 1973 and 10 January 1974, D. Klingener, C. Woods, C. Butterfield, and V. Naples collected bats in the vicinity of Paillant, on the mountainside above Miragoane, using nets that had been set for study of migratory birds. J. W. Bickham and J. C. Patton netted bats near Paillant and in the ravines above and below that town between 13 and 28 August 1974. Between 17 December 1974 and 12 January 1975, D. Klingener, C. Woods, and C. Butterfield obtained bats near Paillant and traveled out aJong the road to Anse-a-Veau, where bats were collected at Charlier. In May and June 1975, C. Woods and a field party from the University of Vermont collected bats at the western tip of the southern peninsula, including some from nets set on the slopes of the Pic de Macaya. The island of Hispaniola is divided into two highland areas (the "North Island" and the "South Island," likely separated by a seaway in the past) by the Plaine du Cui de Sac, which isolates the southern peninsula of Haiti and the Barahona Peninsula of the Dominican Re public from the highlands of northern Haiti and the Dominican Repub lic (Williams, 1961). The southern peninsula of Haiti has two highland regions, the eastern Massif de la Selle (maximum elevation, 2,674 m) and the western Massif de la Hotte (maximum elevation being the Pic de Macaya, 2,347 m). The lowland isthmus between the two massifs is the Trouin Valley between Jacmel and Grand Goave (Schwartz, 1973). Our collections were made at localities ranging from sea level to the slopes of the Pic de Macaya in the Massifde la Hotte, from Miragoane westward to Anse d'Hainault. Haiti is a mountainous country with few streams or playas. Caves in the limestone are abundant, but these are smaJI and difficult for humans to enter. Depending on location, rainfaJl varies between 524 and 2,124 mm per year. There are two rainy seasons, one in the spring, the other in the autumn (Woodring et al., 1924). The evergreen tropical rainforest described by Columbus in 1493 is mostly gone owing to lumbering, 1978 KUNGENER ET AL.-HAITIAN BATS 83 agriculture, and the burning of wood for charcoal. In the southern peninsula, forest persists only in deep ravines and on steep mountain sides in the extreme west (C. Woods, personal communication). Elsewhere the uncultivated parts of mountains are covered by dry thorn scrub, with somewhat thicker vegetation persisting in ravines and dry washes. The human population and its domestic animals con tinue to increase in density, and further deforestation will probably occur. METHODS AND MATERIALS OUf specimens were taken primarily by netting and were preserved as skin/skull, skin/skeleton, skeleton only, or fluid preparations. The specimens are deposited in The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), The Museum, Texas Tech University (TTU), and the Museum of Zoology, University of Massachusetts (UMA). We collected a total of 450 specimens, referable to 15 species. Two species, Tadarida macrotis and Nata/us major, previously recorded from the island (Varona, 1974), are not repre sented in our collection. Some Cuban specimens ofPhylJonycteris poeyi in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History were also used for comparative purposes. Measurements offorearm and cranial distances are standard ones and were taken by one of us (HHG) with dial calipers accurate to 0.1 mm. In the Tables (I through 4), mea surements of individual specimens are listed for series offour or fewer. For larger series, the mean, observed range, and standard deviation are indicated. A few field weights were taken by one of us (DK) with a Pesola scale. Reproductive conditions were determined by gross dissection ofskin/skeleton and skin/skull specimens in the field and by later dissections offluid preserved animals. Sizes ofembryos are giyen as crown-rump lengths. Reproductive data from some specimens in the University of Vermont collection are included and were taken by C. Woods. Those animals are not included in our list of specimens examined. In all cases pregnant bats were carrying single young. We observed no instances of twinning. Varona (1974) provided a valuable summary of distribution of bats among the Greater and Lesser Antillean islands. His taxonomic treatment is in many cases unorthodox. As he has not given reasons for his taxonomic usage, we have chosen not to follow him in many instances. We did not compare our bats with series from northern Haiti or from the Dominican Republic. Buden (l975b) found no difference between series of Macrotus woterhousii from the North and South islands. Similar comparisons have not been made for other species. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank the Government of the Republic of Haiti for issuing collecting permits, and Joseph Wainwright of Port-au-Prince for assistance in obtaining them and for other courtesies. Major Dimanche, Garde d'Haiti, facilitated travel among towns in the south ern peninsula. We are especially indebted to AI and Natalie Buttertield and Reynolds Haitian Mines Jnc. for their enthusiastic and generous support ofall parts of our study. Charles Woods, University of Vermont. provided the impetus for work on the island. assisted in the field work, and contributed reproductive data on bats collected by him and by his students. Field work was also done by Carl Butterfield, John Bickham, John Patton, and Virginia Naples. To all of these individuals we are grateful. Charles O. Handley, Jr., and Karl F. Koopman permitted examination ofspecimens in their care, and Dr. Koopman unstintingly shared his insights into the systematics and evolution of Antillean bats. A number of colleagues read an earlier draft of this manu script. We thank them for suggesting improvements. R4 ANNALS OF CARNEGIE MUSEUM VOL. 47 10.", ~ Fig. t.-Map ofthe southern peninsula of Haiti showing localities mentioned in the text. The highest mountain peaks and ridges are shaded. Field work was assisted by grants from the National Geographic Society (to C. Woods). from the University of Massachusetts Faculty Researc'h Gmnt Program (to D. Klingener), and by National Science Foundation grant GB-41105 to R. J. Baker and H. H. Genoways. LOCALITIES Most of the bats were collected in the vicinity of Miragoane (Fig.

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