19 Nov 2014 Catalina de Güines, Cuba, Central and Latin America Bats
We will provide data on relative population size of bat inhabiting both caves together with an overview of population dynamics both in the temporal and the spatial domain along a year. Our work will be oriented also to capacitating personnel working and living nearby the caves.
With 26 extant species, Cuba has the richest bat fauna in the Antilles. One distinctive characteristics of the Cuban bat fauna is the predominance of obligate cave-dwelling species. The caves known as “El mudo” and “El indio” are permanently inhabited by nine species and temporally occupied by other three species. Gathered information regarding the use of these caves by bats population would be used for capacitating personnel, improve management, and education of local farm workers and the neighbouring communities. Project data will be presented in scientific papers, meetings, a guide of cave bats, and used to assess cave management.