Comparative analysis of wing morphology, flight behaviour, and habitat use in flying foxes (Genus: Pteropus)

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Q. Richmond ◽  
Sandra Anne Banack ◽  
Gilbert S. Grant
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Foraging Mode ◽  
Flight Behaviour ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Species Overlap ◽  
Soaring Flight ◽  
Flying Fox

We compared morphological indices, flight behaviour, and foraging and habitat use in two sympatric species of flying foxes, the insular flying fox (Pteropus tonganus) and the Samoan flying fox (Pteropus samoensis), to test the prediction that morphologically similar species overlap in ecology. Both species are fruit and flower specialists, forage for patchily distributed food, fly with a foetus or young, and transport large-seeded fruits. Patterns of major foraging activity and foraging mode vary between species: P. samoensis is predominantly diurnal and uses soaring flight for commuting and assessing food resources, while P. tonganus is predominantly nocturnal and commutes extensive distances between roosts and foraging areas. Our results indicate that P. tonganus and P. samoensis are morphologically and ecologically similar, despite differences in flight behaviour. Differences in flight behaviour are attributable to the time of day when most extensive flying occurs for each species.

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.

scholarly journals Altitudinal distribution, habitat use, and abundance of Grallaria antpittas in the Central Andes of Colombia

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo H. Kattan ◽  
J. William Beltran
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Central Andes ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Tropical Andes ◽  
Altitudinal Distribution ◽  
River Watershed ◽  
Species Overlap ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Early Regeneration

SummaryGrallaria antpittas are a group of little known birds from the understorey of humid forests of the tropical Andes, with several species having very narrow distributions. At Ucumari Regional Park, which protects the Otún River watershed in the Central Andes of Colombia, five species occur sympatrically at 2,400 m, including the recently rediscovered G. milleri, of which this is the only known population. We studied the patterns of altitudinal distribution, habitat use and abundance of the five species in the park. We found altitudinal segregation at a local scale, with two species, G. ruficapilla and G. squamigera, found at lower elevations (1,800–2,500 m) and two other species, G. nuchalis and G. rufocinerea, at higher elevations (2,400–3,000); G. milleri was recorded only in the 2,400–2,600 m range. The five species overlap in the range 2,400–2,600 m, where they occur in three habitats: early regeneration, overgrown alder plantations and 30-year-old forest. There were no differences in density among habitats for any species; the five species used the three habitats in proportion to their occurrence in the landscape. Grallaria milleri had the highest overall density (1.3 ind/ha) while G. squamigera had the lowest density (0.2 ind/ha), and the other three species were intermediate. We estimated 106 individuals of G. milleri in an area of 63 ha, and only seven individuals of G. squamigera. The Otún River watershed concentrates an unusual number of Grallaria antpittas, including three endemic species, and the information presented here is fundamental to any future habitat management plans to ensure the persistence of these populations.

A phylogenetic perspective on foraging mode evolution and habitat use in West Indian Anolis lizards

2008 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 555-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele A. Johnson ◽  
Manuel Leal ◽  
Lourdes Rodríguez Schettino ◽  
Ada Chamizo Lara ◽  
Liam J. Revell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
West Indian ◽  
Foraging Mode ◽  
Phylogenetic Perspective

Coexistence of morphologically similar bats (Vespertilionidae) on Madagascar: stable isotopes reveal fine-grained niche differentiation among cryptic species

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Dammhahn ◽  
Claude Fabienne Rakotondramanana ◽  
Steven M. Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Seasonal Migration ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Hair Samples

Abstract:Based on niche theory, closely related and morphologically similar species are not predicted to coexist due to overlap in resource and habitat use. Local assemblages of bats often contain cryptic taxa, which co-occur despite notable similarities in morphology and ecology. We measured in two different habitat types on Madagascar levels of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in hair (n = 103) and faeces (n = 57) of cryptic Vespertilionidae taxa to indirectly examine whether fine-grained trophic niche differentiation explains their coexistence. In the dry deciduous forest (Kirindy), six sympatric species ranged over 6.0‰ in δ15N, i.e. two trophic levels, and 4.2‰ in δ13C with a community mean of 11.3‰ in δ15N and −21.0‰ in δ13C. In the mesic forest (Antsahabe), three sympatric species ranged over one trophic level (δ15N: 2.4‰, δ13C: 1.0‰) with a community mean of 8.0‰ δ15N and −21.7‰ in δ13C. Multivariate analyses and residual permutation of Euclidian distances in δ13C–δ15N bi-plots revealed in both communities distinct stable isotope signatures and species separation for the hair samples among coexisting Vespertilionidae. Intraspecific variation in faecal and hair stable isotopes did not indicate that seasonal migration might relax competition and thereby facilitate the local co-occurrence of sympatric taxa.

scholarly journals Roost of Gray Flying Foxes (Pteropus griseus) in Indonesia and Records of a New Hunting Threat

Diversity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheherazade ◽  
Susan Tsang
Keyword(s):  
Small Islands ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
International Union ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
North Sulawesi ◽  
Fruit Bat ◽  
Data Deficient ◽  
Conservation Threats ◽  
Flying Fox

Pteropus griseus (gray flying fox) is a species of Old World fruit bat that is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Data Deficient. The species is found on small islands in the Lesser Sundas and Sulawesi, and is endemic to Indonesia, but no contemporary roosts are known, and the last study of the species was in Timor in the Lesser Sundas. In this study, we describe the first known day roost in Sulawesi for Pteropus griseus and collected anecdotal evidence regarding conservation threats to the colony. We compared data from flying foxes collected from this roost to other P. griseus specimens and those of closely related co-occurring species to confirm its identity. We confirmed that this roost is likely of Pteropus griseus, though the subspecies identity remains to be determined. However, it is newly threatened by middlemen traders of bat meat from North Sulawesi arriving to encourage local villagers near the roost to hunt the bats. Elevated levels of hunting may deplete the entire colony in a single season should no conservation action be taken to safeguard the roost.

Habitat Use by Sminthopsis-Crassicaudata, Planigale-Gilesi and Planigale-Tenuirostris (Marsupialia, Dasyuridae) in Semiarid New-South-Wales

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
DG Read
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Sminthopsis Crassicaudata ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Soil Cracks ◽  
Habitat Variables

Habitat use by Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Planigale gilesi and P. tenuirostris was investigated in the arid zone of New South Wales. All species showed considerable flexibility in habitat use at all times, and abundance was poorly predicted from easily measured parameters of the habitat. However, evidence was found for separation of microhabitat among these sympatric species. Multiple regression analysis indicated that abundance of S. crassicaudata was negatively associated with height of vegetation and the depth and density of soil cracks, and that of P. gilesi was positively associated with these habitat variables. Plant height was positively associated with abundance of P. tenuirostris and it was the only important predictor for this species. These results are discussed in conjunction with trapping records from other habitats.

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.

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