Abstract
Aim: The Amazon rainforest has approximately 23% of its
sampled area dedicated to bats, making it one of the least sampled and
most diverse regions for bats in Brazil. The lack of sampling results in
a lack of knowledge regarding the accurate geographical distribution of
bat species. This lack is referred to as the Wallacean shortfall, which
should be addressed with primary data obtained from in situ collections.
However, the use of Species Distribution Models (SDMs) can help
alleviate this gap. Location: The states of Pará and Acre are
located in the Brazilian Amazon. Methods: So, our objective is
to decrease the Wallacean shortfall concerning Amazonian bat species. To
achieve this, we provide (i) a list of bat species sampled in the states
of Pará and Acre in the last five years (2017 to 2022); (ii) the
potential distribution of species considered as new occurrences for the
region; and (iii) the potential distribution of species classified as
Data Deficient (DD) and Near Threatened (NT) according to the IUCN
classification. Results: With 96 nights of collection and
129,600 m 2h of mist netting, we obtained 75 bat
species, with an estimated total of 94.78 species. Additionally, 21
species were considered as range extensions. Main conclusions:
The Brazilian Amazon region has a vast geographic expanse and few
established research centers, resulting in a limited sampling of bats
and other biological groups. Furthermore, we draw attention to the
significant number of bat species with expanded geographical
distributions, with 21 out of the 75 sampled species. This should be a
reminder that primary biogeographic data is still necessary for the
neotropical region.