Murciélagos (Chiroptera) del departamento del Tolima, Colombia: diversidad en un bosque húmedo tropical y actualizacion de la lista de especies del departamento

Bats (Chiroptera) represent the mammalian order with the highest number of species in Colombia, however, the studies on the diversity of this taxonomic group in some regions of the country are scarce. Objectives. The aim of this work is to describe the taxonomic diversity of bats in a humid tropical forest, (Santa Librada Agroecological Reserve, SLAR), in the department of Tolima, Colombia, and to update the bat species checklist and the state of knowledge of bats in the Department of Tolima. Methods. We performed field work sampling using 5 mist-nets and manual captures between 2016 and 2018 in SLAR, as well as, an exhaustive review of bat records of Tolima, from different sources and specimens in museums. Results. For the SLAR, we registered 19 species belonging to 13 genera and 4 families. Phyllostomidae was the most representative family with 191 records. Conclusions. Bats diversity at the Department of Tolima is greater than the previously reported. We included 18 additional species to the Department checklist and identified some information gaps and errors in the literature that might be a source of misunderstandings about the diversity of bats of Tolima. Finally, the patches of tropical humid forest at the north Tolima are recognized as important areas that host a high diversity of bats, mostly unexplored.