Guatemala confirms first presence of Natalus lanatus bat species

A scientific study published in the journal Check List has confirmed the presence of the bat species Natalus lanatus in Guatemala for the first time. This discovery brings the country’s documented bat species count to 107.

The specimen was recorded by Luis Trujillo Sosa of the Defensores de la Naturaleza Foundation at the Héctor Centeno Biological Station, located within the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve at an altitude of 2,573 meters. The research involved examining specimens from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC) and the Field Museum in Chicago, including unidentified material collected in Zacapa as far back as 1948.

Researchers noted a distinct altitudinal separation between N. lanatus, found between 731 and 2,573 meters, and Natalus mexicanus, which is concentrated from sea level to 523 meters. While the study does not aim to resolve ongoing taxonomic debates, the authors emphasize that morphological and altitudinal differences suggest the species should not be treated as a single ecologically homogeneous entity for conservation planning.