Greater short-nosed fruit bat

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Greater short-nosed fruit bat
Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx) Photograph By Shantanu Kuveskar.jpg
Hanging over foliage palm in Mangaon, Maharashtra
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Cynopterus
Species:
C. sphinx
Binomial name
Cynopterus sphinx
(Vahl, 1797)
Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat area.png
Greater short-nosed fruit bat range

The greater short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus sphinx), or short-nosed Indian fruit bat, is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae found in South and Southeast Asia.

Contents

Description

These bats have a relatively long snout. Their upper parts are brown to grey-brown with paler under parts. The fur is very fine and silky. The ears and wing bones of C. sphinx are edged in white. Lower cheek teeth rounded without accessory cusps. The wingspan of the adult is about 48 cm (19 in). Juveniles are lighter than adults. Average forearm length is 70.2 mm (2.76 in), with a range of 64–79 mm (2.5–3.1 in). [2]

Habitat

C. sphinx bats perching in a palm tree. Short-nosed Indian Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx) -2.jpg
C. sphinx bats perching in a palm tree.

The greater short-nosed fruit bat is found from Pakistan to Vietnam. It is common in tropical forests and areas where fruit crops are cultivated. They can also be found in grasslands and mangrove forests. They typically nest high in palm trees. The bats chew the fronds of the palms to construct fairly simple tents. These bats are also known to construct tents by closely interweaving the leaves and twigs of creeping vines which cover buildings, but such nests are constructed only when palms are not available.

Behaviour and breeding

The greater short-nosed fruit bat is gregarious, and typically roosts in same-sex groups of eight to nine individuals. The sexes remain separate until the mating season, when group size increases. They are polygynous and 6–10 males and 10–15 females usually share palm-frond tents during the breeding season. [3] They are known to perform fellatio, which enhances copulation time in the species. Copulation by males is dorsoventral and the females lick the shaft or the base of the male's penis, but not the glans which has already penetrated the vagina. While the females do this, the penis is not withdrawn and research has shown a positive relationship between length of the time that the penis is licked and the duration of copulation. Postcopulation genital grooming has also been observed. [4] Males stay with females for some time after mating, but later return to same-sex groups.

Female bats perform fellatio to increase copulation time. [4]

The adult sex ratio is very female biased. Researchers attribute this to the relatively rapid maturation of females compared to males. In Central India, C. sphinx breeds twice per year. Females produce a single young at a time. Each half of the bicornate uterus functions during alternate breeding cycles. The first pregnancy cycle occurs from October through February/March. Mating occurs immediately post partum , and a second offspring is born in July. Gestation period is about 3–5 months. In 72% of bats, the first pregnancy occurs in the right horn of the uterus. The corpus luteum in the right ovary persists for some time after the pregnancy and prevents ovulation from occurring in the right ovary during the second breeding cycle. This creates the pattern of alternate functioning of the two horns of the uterus. However, the corpus luteum in the left ovary does not persist until the beginning of the next breeding cycle. As yet, no reason has been found for the dominance of the right horn during the first breeding cycle. [5] [6] Newborn bats weigh about 13.5 g (0.48 oz) and have a wingspan of 24 cm (9.4 in). By the time of weaning at 4 weeks of age, young bats weigh 25 g (0.88 oz) and have wings spanning 36 cm (14 in). Female short-nosed fruit bats reach sexual maturity at 5–6 months of age, but males are not capable of breeding until they are a year old. [7]

These bats are frugivorous, and locate their preferred food items by scent. They have been described as voracious feeders, eating more than their body weight in food in one sitting. Some preferred fruits include ripe guava, banana, chikoo, dates, and lychees.

Short-nosed fruit bats inflict serious damage on many fruit crops, and are considered pests. In addition, these bats are possible vectors for Japanese encephalitis, which is serious disease in humans. [8] These bats are important dispersers of date palm seeds, and pollinate many night blooming flowers.

They are also known to construct shelter tents by severing leaves and stems from certain creepers and mast trees like Polyalthia longifolia . [9]

Frugivory, nectarivory, and folivory are well understood; in addition, geophagy behaviour has also been reported in this species recently, and is suggested to represent an ‘adaptive behavioural plasticity’ in the foraging behaviour of the greater short-nosed fruit bat. According to Mahandran et al. [10] geophagy have the function of mineral supplementation and/or detoxification.

Related Research Articles

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Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera Acerodon and Pteropus—flying foxes. They are the only member of the superfamily Pteropodoidea, which is one of two superfamilies in the suborder Yinpterochiroptera. Internal divisions of Pteropodidae have varied since subfamilies were first proposed in 1917. From three subfamilies in the 1917 classification, six are now recognized, along with various tribes. As of 2018, 197 species of megabat had been described.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leaf-nosed bat</span> Family of bats

The New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are bats found from southern North America to South America, specifically from the Southwest United States to northern Argentina. They are ecologically the most varied and diverse family within the order Chiroptera. Most species are insectivorous, but the phyllostomid bats include within their number true predatory species and frugivores. For example, the spectral bat, the largest bat in the Americas, eats vertebrate prey, including small, dove-sized birds. Members of this family have evolved to use food groups such as fruit, nectar, pollen, insects, frogs, other bats, and small vertebrates, and in the case of the vampire bats, even blood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serotine bat</span> Species of bat

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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<i>Cynopterus</i> Genus of bats

Cynopterus is a genus of megabats. The cynopterine section is represented by 11 genera, five of which occur in Malaysia, namely, Chironax, Balionycteris, Penthetor, Dyacopterus, and Cynopterus. About 30 names for Cynopterus species have been proposed, but only 16 are taxonomically valid forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian fruit bat</span> Species of bat

The Egyptian fruit bat or Egyptian rousette is a species of megabat that is found in Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the Indian subcontinent. It is one of three Rousettus species with an African-Malagasy range, though the only species of its genus found on continental Africa. The common ancestor of the three species colonized the region in the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene. The species is traditionally divided into six subspecies. It is considered a medium-sized megabat, with adults weighing 80–170 g (2.8–6.0 oz) and possessing wingspans of approximately 60 cm (24 in). Individuals are dark brown or grayish brown, with their undersides paler than their backs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted-winged fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern tube-nosed bat</span> Species of bat

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammer-headed bat</span> Megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa

The hammer-headed bat, also known as hammer-headed fruit bat, big-lipped bat, and hammerhead bat, is a megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa. It is the only member of the genus Hypsignathus, which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along with four other genera. It is the largest bat in continental Africa, with wingspans approaching 1 m (3.3 ft), and males almost twice as heavy as females. Males and females also greatly differ in appearance, making it the most sexually dimorphic bat species in the world. These differences include several adaptations that help males produce and amplify vocalizations: the males' larynges are about three times as large as those of females, and they have large resonating chambers on their faces. Females appear more like a typical megabat, with foxlike faces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common noctule</span> Species of bat

The common noctule is a species of insectivorous bat common throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livingstone's fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat</span> Species of bat

Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is commonly found across southern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harpy fruit bat</span> Species of bat

The harpy fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-bellied fruit bat</span> Species of bat

The black-bellied fruit bat is a species of order bat in the family Pteropodidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luzon fruit bat</span> Species of bat

The Luzon fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is the only species within the genus Otopteropus and is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian flying fox</span> Species of mammal

The Indian flying fox, also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest as a disease vector, as it is capable of transmitting several viruses to humans. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar. This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of its fruit consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonin flying fox</span> Species of bat

The Bonin flying fox, Bonin fruit bat, or in Japanese, Ogasawara giant bat, is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to four islands in Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Its natural habitat is subtropical forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodrigues flying fox</span> Large species of bat native to the island of Rodrigues

The Rodrigues flying fox or Rodrigues fruit bat is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae, the flying foxes or fruit bats. It is endemic to Rodrigues, an island in the Indian Ocean belonging to Mauritius. Its natural habitat is tropical lowland forests. The bats are sociable, roost in large groups during the day and feed at night, squeezing the juice and flesh out of fruits. They are hunted by humans for food and their numbers have been dwindling, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the species as being "endangered". In an effort to preserve them from extinction, some bats have been caught and are being bred in various zoos around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser short-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

The lesser short-nosed fruit bat is a species of megabat within the family Pteropodidae. It is a small bat that lives in South Asia and Southeast Asia. It weighs between 21 and 32 grams, and measures 70 to 127 millimetres. It occurs in many types of habitat, but most frequently in disturbed forest, including lower montane forest and tropical lowland rain forest, plus gardens, mangroves, and vegetation on beaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horsfield's fruit bat</span> Species of bat

Horsfield's fruit bat is a species of megabat native to South East Asia. It is named for Thomas Horsfield, an American naturalist who presented the type specimen to the British Museum.

References

  1. Bates, P.; Bumrungsri, S.; Molur, S.; Srinivasulu, C. (2019). "Cynopterus sphinx". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T6106A22113656. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T6106A22113656.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. Bates, P.J.J; D.A. Harrison (1997). Bats of the Indian Subcontinent. Harrison Zoological Museum. p. 258. ISBN   978-0951731314.
  3. Balasingh, J; J. Suthakar-Isaac, S.; R. Subbaraj (1993). "Tent roosting by the frugivorous bat Cynopterus sphinx in southern India". Current Science. 65 (5): 418.
  4. 1 2 Tan, Min; Gareth Jones; Guangjian Zhu; Jianping Ye; Tiyu Hong; Shanyi Zhou; Shuyi Zhang; Libiao Zhang (October 28, 2009). Hosken, David (ed.). "Fellatio by Fruit Bats Prolongs Copulation Time". PLOS ONE. 4 (10): e7595. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.7595T. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007595 . PMC   2762080 . PMID   19862320.
  5. Advani, R (1982). "Feeding, foraging and roosting behavior of the fruit eating bats and damage to fruit crops in Rajasthan and Gujarat". Saeugeteirkundliche Mitteilungen. 30 (1): 46–48.
  6. Sandhu, S; A. Gopalakrishna. (1984). "Some observations on the breeding biology of Cynopterus sphinx in central India". Current Science. 53 (22): 1189–1192.
  7. Krishna, A; C.J. Dominic (1983). "Growth of young and sexual maturity of 3 species of Indian Bats". Journal of Animal Morphology and Physiology. 30 (1–2): 162–168.
  8. Banjeree, K; Ilkal, M.A.; P.K. Deshmikh (1984). "Susceptibility of Cynopterus sphinx (frugivorus bat) and Suncus minimus (house shrew) to Japanese encephalitis virus". Indian Journal of Medical Research. 79 (1): 8–12.
  9. Balasingh, J.; Koilraj, John; Kunz, Thomas H. (1995). "Tent Construction by the Short-nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Southern India". Ethology. 100 (3): 210–229. Bibcode:1995Ethol.100..210B. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1995.tb00326.x. ISSN   1439-0310.
  10. Mahandran, Valliyappan; Raghuram, Hanumanthan; Nathan, Parthasarathy Thiruchenthil (2015-11-17). "Geophagy by the Indian short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx (Pteropodidae) while foraging on Madhuca latifolia (Sapotaceae) in Tamil Nadu, South India". Acta Ethologica. 19: 95–99. doi:10.1007/s10211-015-0227-7. ISSN   0873-9749. S2CID   16892095.

Further reading