Abstract

TEMPORARY MARKING OF TWO SPECIES OF BATS: MYOTIS CHILOENSIS (CHIROPTERA: VESPERTILIONIDAE) AND TADARIDA BRASILIENSIS (CHIROPTERA: MOLOSSIDAE). The selection of inappropriate marking methods for bats has been a common issue, and the use of non-permanent tags has been scarce. We measure the permanence of two temporary marks (patagium piercing and hair dyeing) in two species of small bats in the Mediterranean-climate area of central Chile. Both methods exhibited similar maximum duration (40-42 days), however, the patagium perforation lasted longer in a greater proportion of individuals than the hair dyeing for both bat species. Our results contribute to the identification of appropriate techniques for the monitoring and tracking of bat populations.