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Título:

ALOPECIA IN ARTIBEUS LITURATUS IN AN URBAN AREA OF BRAZIL

Resumo:

Alopecia syndrome in bats is infrequently documented but can be attributed to several causes, such as environmental contaminants, nutritional or endocrine disorders, parasites, reproductive behavior, molting, physiological or physical stress. Here we report on the prevalence of alopecic syndrome in wild great fruit-eating bats Artibeus lituratus (Phyllostomidae) recovered from the urban area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. All animals analyzed were manually recovered presenting atypical behaviors, alive or dead. The data (species, sex, mass, age, reproductive stage, morphometric features, incidence of alopecia) were compiled from records for the period 2013 to 2021. From 494 animals studied, 70 (14%) presented alopecia, especially in chest and/or abdominal areas (96%). Alopecic syndrome was observed only in adults (n = 62 (89%) in females and 6 (9%) in males). Of the females presenting alopecia, 5 (8%) were pregnant with well-developed fetuses and 42 (68%) were lactating. If these lactating females with alopecia, 8 (19%) were captured carrying pups. From the total of alopecic cases, 59 (84%) were recorded between September to January. Our results corroborate the literature confirming the occurrence of alopecia correlates to stages of reproduction in A. lituratus. The time frame before and after pregnancy is when immunological stress in these animals can be atypically high and fluctuations in hormones can affect fur growth and molt. Considering the fur loss was concentrated in the chest and abdominal areas, and these anatomical regions are where adult females carry pups, and the relatively large size of pups relative to adult A. lituratus, our hypothesis is that stress and body friction are important causes of alopecia in this species.

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