Bats from an area of restinga in a conservation unit located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil

Restingas are naturally fragile ecosystems, mainly because of instability of their soils, and, in addition, they have been constantly modified by human activities. This ecosystem is poorly investigated and information about its fauna is scarce. Consequently, little is known about bat communities in restingas, since most studies on bats occurred in fragments of Atlantic Forest. The aim of this study was to analyze the composition, species richness and abundance of bats from restingas of a conservation unit in southeastern Brazil (Área de Proteção Ambiental de Maricá), located in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In May 2011 and December 2013, we performed a total of 18 samplings with mist nets resulting in a sampling effort of 17,640 m2.h and the capture of 56 specimens of six Phyllostomidae bat species. Most captured species were of frugivorous bats. Artibeus lituratus was the most abundant species (39%). Despite the high degradation level of the studied area, the results of this study suggest that the area shows favorable attributes for the occurrence of bat species.