Abstract
The sequence of phases (proestrus, estrus, metestrus, and diestrus) occurring between one heat period to another is known as the estrous or estrus cycle. In bats, studies determining the reproductive cycles have mainly been based on external traits, which implies that the reproduction classification is subject to the researcher´s experience. In contrast, vaginal cytology analysis allows for a more reliable establishment of estrous cycle stages and reproductive conditions of the species. In this study, we used vaginal cytology analysis to determine the reproductive cycle of bat species captured between August 2018 and February 2020 in a peri-urban area in northern Cordillera Central. The reproductive condition of captured females was established externally, and those in condition active underwent vaginal cytology in the field. Subsequent slides analysis using Wright's stain was carried out in the laboratory. 73 individuals, including 38 females, of 13 species (Phyllostomidae and Vespertilinoidae) were captured. Of 23 females analyzed, 56.5% were in estrus, 21.7% in proestrus, 17.3% in diestrus, and 4.3% in metestrus. Vaginal cytology is a low-cost and low-risk methodology for the reproductive monitoring of bat populations, allowing us to understand the relationship between reproduction and environmental factors in human transformed environments. This study constitutes the first contribution to the reproductive biology of bats in an urban-rural system in the Antioquia department and is a reference on the frequency of the different estrous stages for the species Sturnira ludovici and Carollia perspicillata.References
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Keywords
estrus cycle
reproduction
Sturnira ludovici and vaginal smears