Abstract
Albinism in the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffrey, 1810) was already reported for seven individuals, six of them did in Brazil. Although this species is relatively easy to keep in captivity and many studies with normally pigmented bats were did under laboratory conditions, no reports on detailed observations of captive albino vampire bats were found in literature. This paper reports some behavioral observation of a single albino female D. rotundus kept in captivity in Brazil between 1991 and 1993. Information on feeding behavior, interactions with normally colored individuals and reproduction were recorded.
Desmodus rotundus; albinism; vampire bats; sanguivory; behavior
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION
Behavior of an albino vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy) (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae), in captivity
Wilson Uieda
Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista. 18618-000 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail: wuieda@ibb.unesp.br
ABSTRACT
Albinism in the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffrey, 1810) was already reported for seven individuals, six of them did in Brazil. Although this species is relatively easy to keep in captivity and many studies with normally pigmented bats were did under laboratory conditions, no reports on detailed observations of captive albino vampire bats were found in literature. This paper reports some behavioral observation of a single albino female D. rotundus kept in captivity in Brazil between 1991 and 1993. Information on feeding behavior, interactions with normally colored individuals and reproduction were recorded.
Key words:Desmodus rotundus, albinism, vampire bats, sanguivory, behavior
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I thank the technicians of the Escritório de Defesa Agropecuária of Sorocaba for field assistance. Nelson Carneiro. Marisa Cardoso and Miriam M. Hayashi for laboratory assistance, and to Claudia Coen for reading and making suggestions as well as improving the English of this manuscript. This study was supported by a grant from Fundunesp (Proc. 195/88) and a CAPES (Proc. BEX0587/96-6) grant.
Recebido em 10.VIII.2000; aceito em 23.V.2001.
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Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
04 May 2009 -
Date of issue
June 2001
History
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Received
10 Aug 2000 -
Accepted
23 May 2001
