The tiny state of Colima on Mexico's Pacific coast is one of the three most biodiverse hot spots in the world. Straddling temperate and tropical zones, with rugged topography ranging from a volcanic mountaintop to sandy beaches, the state shelters nearly half – 66 – of Mexico's species of Chiroptera, or bats. In Bats of Colima, Mexico, studded with more than 200 full-color photographs and maps, a team of mammalogists from Mexico and the United States marshal information gathered over decades to present a comprehensive portrait of the bats of Colima.
Bats of Colima, Mexico provides readers with the tools necessary to understand and identify each species of Colima's bat population, from the sac-winged bats of family Emballonuridae to the mustached bats of family Mormoopidae. A dichotomous key indicates how each bat can be differentiated and describes the seven families within which they fall. The authors provide an in-depth description of each species, including a photograph, a map of its distribution across Colima, and information on habitat, reproduction, conservation status, and more.
By calling attention to Colima's rich chiropteran fauna, Bats of Colima, Mexico should not only foster interest in the rich biodiversity of the region but also nurture further collaboration between scientists and naturalists in the United States and Mexico.
"Compiled by an expert team of Mexican and U.S. scientists with a passion for fieldwork, this book adds greatly to our knowledge of the biodiversity of Colima, an important crossroads for northern and southern faunal elements, in a very user-friendly way. I can definitely smell the smoke of the authors' campfires, and imagine the placement of their mist nets."
– Don E. Wilson, Curator Emeritus of Mammals, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., and author of Bats in Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book