A bat (Chiroptera) survey of mora rainforest in Trinidad's Victoria-MayaroForest Reserve

The bat fauna of the Mora excelsa-dominated rainforest in the Victoria-Maya ro Forest Reserve (VMFR) in south-east Trinidad was assessed over a six-wee k period. Trapping effort totaled 271 mist net hours and caught 143 bats of 22 species at a rate of one bat every two net-hours. Simpsons diversity in dex (1/D) was 1.28 for primary Mora forest and extrapolation using Chaos' e stimator, a non-parametric method, estimated the total number of species as 39. Phyllostomid bats of the subfamilies Phyllostominae and Stenodermatina e were well represented, and frugivores predominated in number, accounting for 77% of all captures in primary forest. The most abundant bat, the groun d-storey frugivore, Carollia perspicillata, accounted for 43% of all captur es in primary forest and, in contrast to most bats, was also abundant on ma n-made paths through the forest. Four species not previously recorded from the reserve, Tonatia bidens, Trachops cirrhosus, a Myotis sp., and the rare Phylloderma stenops, were captured, bringing the total number of bats spec ies known from the reserve to 35. Thus, over half (52%) of Trinidad's 67 ba t species occur in this one forest reserve, making it a high priority area for effective protection and management.