What constitutes the menu of Trachops cirrhosus (Chiroptera)? A review of the species’ diet

Few data are available on the predation of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals by the fringe-lipped bat Trachops cirrhosus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Phyllostominae), in particular in Brazil, where ecological studies of this species are still incipient. This study presents an overview of the data available in the literature on the composition of the diet of T. cirrhosus , including data from a semiarid region. The first records of the predation of the anurans Corythomanthis greeningi (Hylidae), Pleurodema diplolister (Leiuperidae), Proceratophrys cristiceps (Cycloramphidae), Dermatonotus muelleri (Microhylidae), Pipa carvalhoi (Pipidae), Leptodactylus sp. (Leptodactylidae), the lizards Vanzosaura rubricauda (Gymnophytalmidae), Hemidactylus mabouia (Gekknonidae), and a rodent of the family Cricetidae are reported. Insects (33%) constitute the principal component of the diet of T. cirrhosus , while anuran amphibians contributed 23% of the items recorded, followed by birds (14%), mammals (10%), lizards (8%), and invertebrates (8%). This diversity of prey is typical of a generalist predator, which is relatively unaffected by seasonal fluctuations in the availability of prey. This is especially important in the semi-arid Caatinga biome, which is subject to prolonged periods of drought that result in a shortage of feeding resources. Keywords: fringe-lipped bat, herpetofauna, prey-predator relationship, rodents, seasonally dry tropical forest.