Ecology
Associations
Known prey organisms
fruit
canopy--leaves
flowers
Insecta
Based on studies in:
Malaysia (Rainforest)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- J. L. Harrison, The distribution of feeding habits among animals in a tropical rain forest, J. Anim. Ecol. 31:53-63, from p. 61 (1962).
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SPIRE
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Barcode
Locations of barcode samples
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Statistics of barcoding coverage
| Specimen Records: | 1,613 |
| Specimens with Sequences: | 750 |
| Specimens with Barcodes: | 738 |
| Public Records: | 338 |
| Species: | 61 |
| Species With Barcodes: | 44 |
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Barcode data
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Wikipedia
Megabat
Megabats constitute the suborder Megachiroptera, family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, old world fruit bats, or flying foxes.
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Description
The megabat, contrary to its name, is not always large: the smallest species is 6 centimetres (2.4 in) long and thus smaller than some microbats.[1] The largest reach 40 centimetres (16 in) in length[citation needed] and attain a wingspan of 1.7 m (5.6 ft), weighing in at up to 1.6 kg (3.5 lb).[2] Most fruit bats have large eyes, allowing them to orient visually in the twilight of dusk and inside caves and forests.
Their sense of smell is excellent. In contrast to the microbats, the fruit bats do not use echolocation (with one exception, the Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus egyptiacus, which uses high-pitched clicks to navigate in caves).
Behaviour and ecology
Megabats are frugivorous or nectarivorous, i.e., they eat fruits or lick nectar from flowers. Often the fruits are crushed and only the juices consumed. The teeth are adapted to bite through hard fruit skins. Large fruit bats must land in order to eat fruit, while the smaller species are able to hover with flapping wings in front of a flower or fruit.[citation needed]
Frugivorous bats aid the distribution of plants (and therefore, forests) by carrying the fruits with them and spitting the seeds or eliminating them elsewhere. Nectarivores actually pollinate visited plants. They bear long tongues that are inserted deep into the flower; pollen thereby passed to the bat is then transported to the next blossom visited, pollinating it. This relationship between plants and bats is a form of mutualism known as chiropterophily. Examples of plants that benefit from this arrangement include the baobabs of the genus Adansonia and the sausage tree (Kigelia).
Classification
Bats are usually thought to belong to one of two monophyletic groups, a view that is reflected in their classification into two suborders (Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera). According to this hypothesis, all living megabats and microbats are descendants of a common ancestor species that was already capable of flight.
However, there have been other views, and a vigorous debate persists to this date. For example, in the 1980s and 1990s, some researchers proposed (based primarily on the similarity of the visual pathways) that the Megachiroptera were in fact more closely affiliated with the primates than the Microchiroptera, with the two groups of bats having therefore evolved flight via convergence (see Flying primates theory).[3] However, a recent flurry of genetic studies confirms the more longstanding notion that all bats are indeed members of the same clade, the Chiroptera.[4][5] Other studies have recently suggested that certain families of microbats (possibly the horseshoe bats, mouse-tailed bats and the false vampires) are evolutionarily closer to the fruit bats than to other microbats.[4][6]
List of species
The family Pteropodidae is divided into seven subfamilies with 186 total extant species, represented by 44 - 46 genera:
FAMILY Pteropodidae
- Subfamily Nyctimeninae
- Genus Nyctimene - tube-nosed fruit bats
- Broad-striped Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene aello
- Common Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene albiventer
- Pallas's Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene cephalotes
- Dark Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene celaeno
- Mountain Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene certans
- Round-eared Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene cyclotis
- Dragon Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene draconilla
- Keast's Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene keasti
- Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene major
- Malaita Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene malaitensis
- Demonic Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene masalai
- Lesser Tube-nosed Bat, Nyctimene minutus
- Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene rabori
- Eastern Tube-nosed Bat, Nyctimene robinsoni
- Nendo Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene sanctacrucis (early 20th century †)
- Umboi Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, Nyctimene vizcaccia
- Genus Paranyctimene
- Genus Nyctimene - tube-nosed fruit bats
- Subfamily Cynopterinae
- Genus Aethalops - pygmy fruit bats
- Genus Alionycteris
- Genus Balionycteris
- Genus Chironax
- Genus Cynopterus - dog-faced fruit bats or short-nosed fruit bats
- Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus brachyotis
- Horsfield’s Fruit Bat, Cynopterus horsfieldii
- Peters’s Fruit Bat, Cynopterus luzoniensis
- Minute Fruit Bat, Cynopterus minutus
- Nusatenggara Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus nusatenggara
- Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus sphinx
- Indonesian Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus titthaecheilus
- Genus Dyacopterus - Dayak fruit bats
- Genus Haplonycteris
- Genus Latidens
- Genus Megaerops
- Genus Otopteropus
- Genus Penthetor
- Genus Ptenochirus - musky fruit bats
- Genus Sphaerias
- Genus Thoopterus
- Subfamily Harpiyonycterinae
- Genus Aproteles
- Genus Dobsonia - bare-backed fruit bats
- Andersen's Bare-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia anderseni
- Beaufort's Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia beauforti
- Philippine Bare-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia chapmani
- Halmahera Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia crenulata
- Biak Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia emersa
- Sulawesi Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia exoleta
- Solomon's Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia inermis
- Lesser Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia minor
- Moluccan Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia moluccensis
- Panniet Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia pannietensis
- Western Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia peroni
- New Britain Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia praedatrix
- Greenish Naked-backed Fruit Bat, Dobsonia viridis
- Genus Harpyionycteris
- Subfamily Macroglossinae
- Genus Macroglossus - long-tongued fruit bats
- Genus Melonycteris
- Genus Notopteris - long-tailed fruit bats
- Long-tailed Fruit Bat, Notopteris macdonaldi (Fiji and Vanuatu)
- New Caledonia Blossom Bat, Notopteris neocaledonica (New Caledonia)
- Genus Syconycteris - blossom bats
- Subfamily Pteropodinae
- Genus Acerodon
- Genus Desmalopex
- White-winged Flying Fox, Desmalopex leucopterus
- Small White-winged Flying Fox, Desmalopex microleucopterus
- Genus Eidolon - straw-coloured fruit bats
- Genus Mirimiri
- Fijian Monkey-faced Bat, Mirimiri acrodonta
- Genus Neopteryx
- Genus Pteralopex
- Genus Pteropus - flying foxes
- P. alecto species group
- P. caniceps species group
- P. chrysoproctus species group
- P. conspicillatus species group
- P. livingstonii species group
- P. mariannus species group
- P. melanotus species group
- P. molossinus species group
- P. neohibernicus species group
- P. niger species group
- P. personatus species group
- P. poliocephalus species group
- P. pselaphon species group
- Chuuk Flying Fox, Pteropus insularis
- Temotu Flying Fox, Pteropus nitendiensis
- Large Palau Flying Fox, Pteropus pilosus (19th century †)
- Bonin Flying Fox, Pteropus pselaphon
- Guam Flying Fox, Pteropus tokudae (1970s †)
- Insular Flying Fox, Pteropus tonganus
- Vanikoro Flying Fox, Pteropus tuberculatus
- New Caledonia Flying Fox, Pteropus vetulus
- P. samoensis species group
- P. scapulatus species group
- P. subniger species group
- Admiralty Flying Fox, Pteropus admiralitatum
- Dusky Flying Fox, Pteropus brunneus (19th century †)
- Ryukyu Flying Fox, Pteropus dasymallus
- Nicobar Flying Fox, Pteropus faunulus
- Gray Flying Fox, Pteropus griseus
- Ontong Java Flying Fox, Pteropus howensis
- Small Flying Fox, Pteropus hypomelanus
- Ornate Flying Fox, Pteropus ornatus
- Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox, Pteropus pumilus
- Philippine Gray Flying Fox, Pteropus speciosus
- Small Mauritian Flying Fox, Pteropus subniger (19th century †)
- P. vampyrus species group
- incertae sedis
- Small Samoan Flying Fox, Pteropus allenorum (19th century †)
- Large Samoan Flying Fox, Pteropus coxi (19th century †)
- Genus Styloctenium
- Subfamily Rousettinae
- Genus Eonycteris - dawn fruit bats
- Genus Rousettus - rousette fruit bats
- Subgenus Boneia
- Subgenus Rousettus
- Geoffroy's Rousette, Rousettus amplexicaudatus
- Sulawesi Rousette, Rousettus celebensis
- Egyptian Rousette (Egyptian Fruit Bat), Rousettus aegyptiacus
- Leschenault's Rousette, Rousettus leschenaulti
- Linduan Rousette, Rousettus linduensis
- Comoro Rousette, Rousettus obliviosus
- Bare-backed Rousette, Rousettus spinalatus
- Subgenus Stenonycteris
- Subfamily Epomophorinae
- Tribe Epomophorini
- Genus Epomophorus - epauletted fruit bats
- Angolan Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus angolensis
- Ansell's Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus anselli
- Peters's Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus crypturus
- Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus gambianus
- Lesser Angolan Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus grandis
- Ethiopian Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus labiatus
- East African Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus minimus
- Minor Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus minor
- Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epomophorus wahlbergi
- Genus Epomops - epauletted bats
- Genus Hypsignathus
- Genus Micropteropus - dwarf epauletted bats
- Genus Nanonycteris
- Genus Epomophorus - epauletted fruit bats
- Tribe Myonycterini
- Genus Lissonycteris
- Genus Megaloglossus
- Genus Myonycteris - little collared fruit bats
- Tribe Plerotini
- Tribe Scotonycterini
- Tribe Epomophorini
As disease reservoirs
Fruit bats have been found to act as reservoirs for a number of diseases which can prove fatal to humans and domestic animals,[citation needed] but the bats themselves sometimes have no signs of infection.
Researchers tested fruit bats for the presence of the Ebola virus between 2001 and 2003. Three species of bats tested positive for Ebola, but had no symptoms of the virus.[citation needed] This indicates the bats may be acting as a reservoir for the virus. Of the infected animals identified during these field collections, immunoglobulin G (IgG) specific for Ebola virus was detected in Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti, and Myonycteris torquata.
The epidemical Marburg virus was found in 2007 in specimens of the Egyptian fruit bat, confirming the suspicion this species may be a reservoir for this dangerous virus.[7]
Fruit bats are considered a delicacy by South Pacific Islanders, where consumption has been suggested as a possible cause of Lytico-Bodig disease.[8]
Other diseases which can be carried by fruit bats include Australian bat lyssavirus and Henipavirus (notably Hendra virus and Nipah virus), both of which can prove fatal to humans.
Footnotes
- ^ E.g., the Mauritian Tomb Bat. See Garbutt, Nick. "Mauritian Tomb Bat." Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide. Yale University Press. 2007. p. 67. [1]
- ^ Nowak, R. M., editor (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol. 1. 6th edition. Pp. 264-271. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
- ^ Pettigrew JD, Jamieson BG, Robson SK, Hall LS, McAnally KI, Cooper HM (1989). "Phylogenetic relations between microbats, megabats and primates (Mammalia: Chiroptera and Primates)". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences 325 (1229): 489–559. doi:10.1098/rstb.1989.0102.
- ^ a b Eick, GN; Jacobs, DS; Matthee, CA (September 2005). "A nuclear DNA phylogenetic perspective on the evolution of echolocation and historical biogeography of extant bats (chiroptera)" (Free full text). Molecular Biology and Evolution 22 (9): 1869–86. doi:10.1093/molbev/msi180. PMID 15930153. http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long.
- ^ Simmons, NB; Seymour, KL; Habersetzer, J; Gunnell, GF (2008-02-14). "Primitive Early Eocene bat from Wyoming and the evolution of flight and echolocation". Nature 451 (7180): 818–21. doi:10.1038/nature06549. PMID 18270539. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7180/abs/nature06549.html. "recent studies unambiguously support bat monophyly"
- ^ Adkins RM, Honeycutt RL (1991). "Molecular phylogeny of the superorder Archonta" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. 88 (22): 10317–10321. doi:10.1073/pnas.88.22.10317. PMC 52919. PMID 1658802. http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/88/22/10317.pdf.
- ^ "Deadly Marburg virus discovered in fruit bats". msnbc. August 21, 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20382188/. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
- ^ Monson, C. S.; Banack, S. A.; Cox, P. A. (2003). "Conservation implications of Chamorro consumption of flying foxes as a possible cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-parkinsonism dementia complex in Guam". Conservation Biology 17 (3): 678–686. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2003.02049.x.
References
- Myers, P. 2001. "Pteropodidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 26, 2006 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Pteropodidae.html.
- Springer, M. S.; et al. (28 January 2005). "A Molecular Phylogeny for Bats Illuminates Biogeography and the Fossil Record". Science 307 (5709): 580–4. doi:10.1126/science.1105113. PMID 15681385.
- Leroy, M.; Kumulungui, B.; Pourrut, X.; Rouquet, P.; Hassanin, A.; Yaba, P.; Délicat, A.; Paweska, T. et al (Dec 2005). "Fruit bats as reservoirs of Ebola virus". Nature 438 (7068): 575–576. Bibcode 2005Natur.438..575L. doi:10.1038/438575a. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 16319873.
- Bat World Sanctuary
- Rodrigues Fruit Bats
- Bat Conservation International
- Criticism of the molecular evidence for bat monophyly
- Brief history of Megachiroptera / Megabats
Source:
Wikipedia
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