Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in urban-rural interfaces: community structure associated with pathogen screening in Sao Paulo-the largest metropolitan region in Brazil

Little is known about the influence of the urban environments on bat species 'ecology. The urbanization process potentially lead to critical ecological changes in bat communities' intra and interspecific pathogenic transmissions dynamics. To date, the monitoring of pathogens in bats in Brazil has only been done with bats found dead or alive in households, from rabies surveillance systems. The present work aimed to investigate how urbanization influenced bat richness, relative abundance and pathogen occurrence. Most captured bats were Phyllostomidae, especially Sturnira lilium, Artibeus lituratus, A. fimbriatus, Glossophaga soricina, and Platyrrhinus lineatus, among others. From preserved-rural towards urban areas the lesser the bat richness, the higher the relative abundance of the captured bats. Noise level, luminosity and relative humidity correlated with bat abundance. The proportion of genders, sexually active bats and their size (weight, right forearm length, and body condition index) were stable throughout the investigation. Still, the proportion of pregnant females was higher in Spring and the number of juveniles in Summer, evidencing the seasonality of reproduction. Several Enterobacteria were isolated, evidencing a significant role of bats in the circulation of pathogens of medical and veterinary interest. These results are crucial in the pursuit of a harmonious coexistence between humans, bats and domestic animals in areas with different levels of anthropization.

Automated summary

This study investigated the influence of urbanization on bat species richness, relative abundance, and pathogen occurrence. The results showed that higher levels of urbanization led to lower bat species richness and higher relative abundance of captured bats. Noise level, luminosity, and relative humidity were correlated with bat abundance. Additionally, the study found that bats play a significant role in the circulation of pathogens of medical and veterinary interest. These findings are important for promoting harmonious coexistence between humans, bats, and domestic animals in areas with varying levels of anthropization.