Estimation of bat colony size even with low recapture rates: an example based on the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model in Oaxaca, México

Introduction: Reproduction is a critical phase for most living organisms and in bats the reproductive strategies exhibit considerable complexity and variability. Objective: In this paper, we describe the reproductive patterns and population dynamics of seven bat species (Artibeus toltecus, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, Mormoops megalophylla, Pteronotus davyi, Pteronotus parnellii and Natalus stramineus) that roost in a mine (La Mina) and two caves (El Apanguito and Cerro Huatulco) found in the municipalities of Pluma Hidalgo and Santa Maria Huatulco, in the State of Oaxaca, in southeastern México. Methods: Sampling was conducted once a month from July 2016 to June 2017. Results: A total of 5 836 bats were captured, tagged and, released, including 14 species, 10 genera, and five families. The most abundant species were Pteronotus davyi and P. parnellii, representing 41.01 % and 32.34 % of the captures, respectively. Artibeus toltecus, Carollia perspicillata, and Glossophaga soricina showed seasonal bimodal polyoestry without a postpartum oestrus pattern, whereas Mormoops megalophylla, Natalus stramineus, Pteronotus davyi, and Pteronotus parnellii showed a restricted seasonal monoestrous pattern. Conclusions: The reproductive activity of each species seems to be synchronized with the beginning of the rainy season. Future studies should consider aspects of vaginal cytology and include environmental factors to better understand the relationship of certain factors with the onset of reproductive activity of neotropical bat species.