Bats of the Grenadine Islands, West Indies, and placement of Koopmans line
H. Genoways, HughG. Kwiecinski, GaryA. Larsen, PeterC. Pedersen, ScottJ. Larsen, RoxanneD. Hoffman, Justinde Silva, MarkJ. Phillips, CarletonJ. Baker, Robert
Almost nothing is known concerning the chiropteran fauna on the Grenadine Islands, a chain of islands between St. Vincent and Grenada located near the southern end of the Lesser Antilles. Previously, only a single speciesGlossophaga longirostrishad been reported from the Grenadines. Our research, conducted on 4 occasions over the period of 1980 to 2006, provided museum vouchers and genetic specimens for the addition of 4 other species to the known fauna of these islandsNoctilio leporinus, Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus schwartzi, and Molossus molossus. The Grenadines, being situated between St. Vincent and Grenada, occupy an important zoogeographic position. None of the 12 species of bats occurring on Grenada are Antillean endemics, whereas on St. Vincent, to the north of the Grenadines, 3 of the 12 species are Antillean endemics. The boundary of the West Indian Subregion of the Neotropical Region based on the distribution of mammals has been designated as Koopmans Line. One of the areas where placement of Koopmans Line was unresolved was among the Grenadine Islands because the chiropteran fauna of this area was essentially unknown. Based on data reported herein, we place Koopmans Line along the 14-km wide Bequia Channel that separates St. Vincent and the northern-most Grenadine island of Bequia.