Bats are an excellent sentinel model for the detection of genotoxic agents. Study in a Colombian Caribbean region

•Mercury and a high frequency of micronuclei were found in the tissues of bats captured in an area of the Colombian Caribbean.•Highest concentration of mercury was in the liver of insectivorous bats.•The insect-eating bats had a higher number of micronuclei and a higher concentration of mercury in the liver and spleen.