Accuracy and precision of grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) flyout counts

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Forsyth ◽  
Michael P. Scroggie ◽  
Eve McDonald-Madden
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Accuracy And Precision ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Observer Effects ◽  
Observer Experience ◽  
Principal Method ◽  
Good Support ◽  
Flying Fox

The principal method for estimating the abundance of bats in roosts is to count the number of bats exiting the roost at dusk (‘flyout counts’). We hypothesised that the accuracy and precision of flyout counts decrease non-linearly as the number of bats moving per unit of time increases, and that accuracy increases with observer experience. To test these hypotheses, we filmed grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) exiting a roost in Melbourne on three consecutive evenings. The film was slowed and the number of flying-foxes flying-out in 30-s intervals was counted and assumed to be the true abundance. Thirteen other observers independently counted the number of flying-foxes flying-out in real time. We formulated our hypotheses into candidate models and compared support for these models using information-theoretic methods. Non-linear models had much greater support than linear models for all three flyouts. There was undercounting in two flyouts and overcounting in the third. There was good support for an effect of observer experience in one of the flyouts, but less support in the others. Precision declined as the true abundance increased in all three flyout counts. Our results indicate that accuracy, precision and observer effects vary with the dynamics of each flyout, and suggest that under some conditions flyout counts will often provide both inaccurate and imprecise estimates of abundance.

Daytime behaviour of the grey-headed flying fox Pteropus poliocephalus Temminck (Pteropodidae: Megachiroptera) at an autumn/winter roost.

2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Connell ◽  
U. Munro ◽  
F. R. Torpy
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Fruit Bat ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Daytime Behaviour ◽  
Flying Fox

The grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus Temminck) is a threatened large fruit bat endemic to Australia. It roosts in large colonies in rainforest patches, mangroves, open forest, riparian woodland and, as native habitat is reduced, increasingly in vegetation within urban environments. The general biology, ecology and behaviour of this bat remain largely unknown, which makes it difficult to effectively monitor, protect and manage this species. The current study provides baseline information on the daytime behaviour of P. poliocephalus in an autumn/winter roost in urban Sydney, Australia, between April and August 2003. The most common daytime behaviours expressed by the flying foxes were sleeping (most common), grooming, mating/courtship, and wing spreading (least common). Behaviours differed significantly between times of day and seasons (autumn and winter). Active behaviours (i.e., grooming, mating/courtship, wing spreading) occurred mainly in the morning, while sleeping predominated in the afternoon. Mating/courtship and wing spreading were significantly higher in April (reproductive period) than in winter (non-reproductive period). Grooming was the only behaviour that showed no significant variation between sample periods. These results provide important baseline data for future comparative studies on the behaviours of flying foxes from urban and ?natural? camps, and the development of management strategies for this species.

Milk Composition in the Grey-headed Flying-fox, Pteropus poliocephalus (Pteropodidae : Chiroptera)

1997 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Messer ◽  
Kerryn Parry-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Post Partum ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Total Solids ◽  
Carbohydrate Concentration ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Flying Fox

Milk samples from 11 captive flying-foxes were collected at various times during lactation from 5 to 139 days post partum and analysed for protein, carbohydrate, total solids and ash. In addition, samples from 14 free-living animals, collected on a single occasion, were analysed. No significant changes in milk composition were observed during lactation in the captive bats except for a small increase in protein and a small decrease in carbohydrate concentration late in lactation. The milk from captive bats contained less protein and total solids than that from free-living animals (mean values: protein, 2·59 and 3·64%, repectively; total solids, 11·1 and 12·7%, repectively) but there was no significant difference with repect to the carbohydrate (6·13 and 6·44%, respectively). The fat content, estimated from the total solids by difference, was low (1·9 and 2·2%, respectively) in both captive and free-living animals. The results are compared with previously published values for milk composition in Chiroptera and are discussed in the context of nursing behaviour and diet in captive and free-living flying-foxes.

Predation on cicadas by an Australian Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus based on DNA evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-528
Author(s):  
Helen M Smith ◽  
Linda E Neaves ◽  
Anja Divljan
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Insect Feeding ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Insect Abundance ◽  
Dna Evidence ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Flying Fox

Historically, reports of insectivory in family Pteropodidae have largely been anecdotal and thought to be an incidental corollary of flying-foxes feeding on plant products. More recent direct observations of flying-foxes catching and consuming insects, as well as advances in techniques that increase our ability to detect dietary items, suggest that this behaviour may be deliberate and more common than previously thought. Usually, multiple insects are consumed, but it appears that flying-foxes hunt and eat them one at a time. However, we have collected and photographed oral ejecta pellets under trees with high flying-fox activity, some containing evidence of multiple masticated insects. Further genetic analysis proved that these pellets came from Grey-headed Flying-foxes Pteropus poliocephalus. We propose that flying-foxes use an array of insect feeding strategies, most likely in response to variation in insect abundance and activity, as well as abiotic factors such as light and temperature.

scholarly journals Dietary partitioning in newly sympatric urban flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus and Pteropus alecto)

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 361
Author(s):  
Phoebe Griffith ◽  
Kerryn Parry-Jones ◽  
Andrew A. Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Resource Partitioning ◽  
New South ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Food Competition ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Competition For Food ◽  
Flying Fox

The black flying-fox (Pteropus alecto) is extending its range southward and is now sympatric with the grey-headed flying-fox (P. poliocephalus) in New South Wales. Competition for food between the two species has been suggested to be a contributor to declines of the vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox. During winter 2016 the diet of both species was investigated over one night at four sites of sympatry, by microscopic analysis of faecal samples. Resource partitioning between the two species was found, with the black flying-fox either preferentially choosing to eat more fruit than the grey-headed flying-fox or being an inferior competitor for pollen and nectar. These results, though limited, do not support the hypothesis that the black flying-fox threatens the grey-headed flying-fox through food competition.

Congregations of a threatened species: mitigating impacts from Grey-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus camps on the Batemans Bay community

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-138
Author(s):  
Matthew Mo ◽  
Mike Roache ◽  
Deb Lenson ◽  
Heidi Thomson ◽  
Mitchell Jarvis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Vegetation Removal ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Building Community ◽  
Commonwealth Government ◽  
Flying Fox

Flying-fox camps in urban areas are a contentious wildlife management issue. Since 2012, Grey-headed Flying-foxes Pteropus poliocephalus have regularly occupied two camps in Batemans Bay, New South Wales (NSW). At one site, the Water Gardens, impacts on adjacent residents and businesses occur when animals roost near the reserve boundaries. During March–July 2016, a large influx of flying-foxes arrived, causing the camps to spread into neighbouring residential, recreational and industrial areas. Prior to this, impacts had been mitigated through vegetation clearing to create buffer zones and residential subsidies for mitigation equipment and services. The influx warranted additional measures such as a dispersal program and further vegetation removal, which were expedited by the Commonwealth Government granting a National Interest Exemption under section 158 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the NSW Government committing $2.5 million in funding towards the new measures. These measures moved flying-foxes from key conflict areas but also coincided with flying-fox numbers reducing as local blossom diminished. Ongoing community engagement played an important role in building community resilience to live with this threatened species, which is vital considering that Batemans Bay will likely continue to be an important area for flying-foxes.

Retinotopic orgarnzation of the primary visual cortex of flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus and pteropus scapulatus)

1993 ◽  
Vol 335 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcello G. P. Rosa ◽  
Leisa M. Schmid ◽  
Leah A. Krubitzer ◽  
John D. Pettigrew
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus

scholarly journals A comparison of nutritional value of native and alien food plants for a critically endangered island flying-fox

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0250857
Author(s):  
Laura A. Pulscher ◽  
Ellen S. Dierenfeld ◽  
Justin A. Welbergen ◽  
Karrie A. Rose ◽  
David N. Phalen
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Soluble Sugars ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Nutritional Requirements ◽  
Nutritional Content ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Christmas Island ◽  
Flying Fox

Habitat loss and alteration are two of the biggest threats facing insular flying-foxes. Altered habitats are often re-vegetated with introduced or domestic plant species on which flying-foxes may forage. However, these alien food plants may not meet the nutritional requirements of flying-foxes. The critically endangered Christmas Island flying-fox (CIFF; Pteropus natalis) is subject to habitat alteration and the introduction of alien food plants, and therefore is a good model species to evaluate the potential impact of alien plant species on insular flying-foxes. In this study, we evaluated nutritional content of native food plants to determine how flying-foxes historically met their nutritional requirements. Furthermore, we compared the nutritional content of native and alien fruits to predict possible impacts of alien plants on insular flying-foxes. Native and alien fruits and flowers, and native foliage (leaves, petals, and petioles) commonly consumed by the CIFF were collected and evaluated for soluble sugars, crude protein, non-fiber carbohydrates, and nine minerals. Evaluation of native food plants suggests that flying-foxes meet energy requirements by consuming fruit and nectar. However, fruit and nectar are low in protein and essential minerals required for demanding life periods; therefore, flying-foxes likely supplement their diets with pollen and foliage. Thus, flying-foxes require a diverse array of plants to meet their nutritional requirements. Compared to native fruits, alien fruits contained significantly higher non-fiber carbohydrates, and this may provide an important energy source, particularly from species that bear fruit year-round. Median mineral concentrations in alien fruit species, however, were deficient compared to native fruits, suggesting major (or even seasonal) shifts in the proportion of alien species in the CIFF diet could lead to nutritional imbalances. This study confirms the need to quantify nutritional parameters in addition to feeding ecology when evaluating habitat quality to inform conservation actions that can be applied both locally and globally.

scholarly journals A New Hendra Virus Genotype Found in Australian Flying Foxes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianning Wang ◽  
Danielle E Anderson ◽  
Kim Halpin ◽  
Xiao Hong ◽  
Honglei Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Relatedness ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Inflammatory Lesion ◽  
Hendra Virus ◽  
Virus Genotype ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Genotype 2 ◽  
Pcr Assays ◽  
Flying Fox

Abstract Background Hendra virus (HeV) has caused lethal disease outbreaks in humans and horses in Australia. Pteropid bats (flying foxes) are the wildlife reservoir from which the virus was first isolated in 1996. Following a heat stress mortality event in Australian flying foxes in 2013, a novel HeV variant was discovered. This study describes the subsequent surveillance of Australian flying foxes for this novel virus over a nine year period using qRT-PCR testing of bat tissues submitted primarily for Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) diagnosis. Genome sequencing and characterisation of the novel HeV variant was also undertaken. Methods Spleen and kidney samples harvested from flying fox carcasses were initially screened with two real-time qRT-PCR assays specific for the prototype HeV. Two additional qRT-PCR assays were developed specific for the HeV variant first detected in samples from a flying fox in 2013. Next-generation sequencing and virus isolation was attempted from selected samples to further characterise the new virus. Results Since 2013, 98 flying foxes were tested and 11 were positive for the new HeV variant. No samples were positive for the original HeV. Ten of the positive samples were from grey-headed flying foxes (GHFF, Pteropus poliocephalus), however this species was over-represented in the opportunistic sampling (83% of bats tested were GHFF). The positive GHFF samples were collected from Victoria and South Australia and one positive Little red flying fox (LRFF, Pteropus scapulatus) was collected from Western Australia. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) confirmed the presence of henipavirus antigen, associated with an inflammatory lesion in cardiac blood vessels of one GHFF. Positive samples were sequenced and the complete genome was obtained from three samples. When compared to published HeV genomes, there was 84% sequence identity at the nucleotide level. Based on phylogenetic analyses, the newly detected HeV belongs to the HeV species but occupies a distinct lineage. We have therefore designated this virus HeV genotype 2 (HeV-G2). Attempts to isolate virus from PCR positive samples have not been successful. Conclusions A novel HeV genotype (HeV-G2) has been identified in two flying fox species submitted from three states in Australia, indicating that the level of genetic diversity for HeV is broader than first recognised. Given its high genetic relatedness to HeV, HeV-G2 should be considered a zoonotic pathogen.

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