Bats of Guadeloupe

The bat fauna of the Lesser Antillean chain is of considerable interest because it is composed of a depauperate extension of the South American fauna, species that have a widespread distribution in the Antilles, and a few species that are endemic to the Lesser Antilles (Baker and Genoways, 1978). Relative to bat speciation and diversity, Guadeloupe is probably the most important island of the Antillean chain. This report is concerned with the natural history and systematics of the 11 chiropteran species known from Guadeloupe, three of which are endemic. Comments concerning systematic relationships are based on specimens that we collected from the island between 20 and 31 July and also on the examination of museum specimens previously taken from there. A total of 391 bats was studied. Descriptions of collecting localities are followed by species accounts, which are arranged in systematic order. Museums serving as depositories for specimens used in this work are: American Museum of Natural History (AMNH); Albert Schwartz Collection (AS); Texas Tech University (TTU); and U.S. National Museum of Natural History (USNM)