The bat Artibeus jamaicensis in Puerto Rico (West Indies): seasonality of diet, activity, and effect of a hurricane

We tracked variations in diet, activity, and relative abundance of the Jama ican fruit-eating bat, Artibeus jamaicensis, in Puerto Rico for ten months prior to and 17 months after hurricane Georges. Diet was examined by regula r placement of fecal traps beneath clusters of bats in a cave. Activity and relative abundance was assessed visually using a night-vision device. Alth ough some degree of selection appears to occur, A. jamaicensis seems to be a generalist phytophagous bat when compared across its range. We identified 13 species of plants used by A. jamaicensis. Piper aduncum was the most ab undant fruit found in the fecal traps, followed by Terminalia catappa, and the leaves of Erythrina poeppigiana. Hurricane Georges had a significant ne gative impact on the number of bats present in the colony, and recovery was slower than after previous hurricanes that had affected only part of the i sland. Our results did not reveal any difference in activity between dark a nd bright nights, thus suggesting that these insular bats do not show lunar phobia.