scholarly journals Spring foraging movements of an urban population of grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus)

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne S J Boardman ◽  
David Roshier ◽  
Terry Reardon ◽  
Kathryn Burbidge ◽  
Adam McKeown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Location Data ◽  
Forage Plants ◽  
Foraging Range ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Corymbia Citriodora ◽  
Port Jackson ◽  
Foraging Movements

Abstract Flying foxes provide ecologically and economically important ecosystem services but extensive clearing and modification of habitat and drought combined with the planting of commercial and non-commercial trees across various landscapes, has meant flying foxes in Australia are increasingly seeking foraging resources in new areas. In 2011, grey-headed flying foxes formed a camp in Adelaide, South Australia, outside their previously recorded range. We used global positioning system telemetry to study the movements and foraging behaviour of this species in Adelaide in spring (September to November) 2015. High-frequency location data were used to determine the foraging range and the most frequently visited foraging sites used by each bat which were ground-truthed to identify forage plants. A total of 7239 valid locations were collected over 170 nights from four collars. Despite being a highly mobile species, the mean core foraging range estimate was only 7.30 km2 (range 3.3–11.2 km2). Maximum foraging distance from the camp in the Botanic Park was 9.5 km but most foraging occurred within a 4-km radius. The most common foraging sites occurred within the residential area of Adelaide and included introduced forage plant species, Lemon-scented gum (Corymbia citriodora) and Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa). Other observed movement activities included dipping behaviour on inland and marine waters and travel across flight paths around Adelaide airport. Our findings suggest that urban habitats in Adelaide provide sufficient foraging resources for grey-headed flying foxes to use these areas exclusively, at least in spring. This creates substantial opportunities for bats to interact with humans and their infrastructure.

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

Food Selection by Grey-headed Flying Foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) Occupying a Summer Colony Site near Gosford, New South Wales

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Parry-Jones ◽  
ML Augee
Keyword(s):  
Food Selection ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Food Items ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The Family ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Marked Preference ◽  
Colony Site

A colony site occupied by grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) from October to May on the central coast of N.S.W. was monitored over a 48 month period (1986-1990). Faecal and spat-out material was collected for microscopic determination of contents. Comparison of food items in the droppings with the array of possible food sources present in the vicinity of the colony at the same time showed a marked preference for certain foods, in particular blossoms of the family Myrtaceae and of the genus Banksia. Cultivated orchard fruits were not a preferred food and were only taken at times when preferred food items were scarce.

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.

scholarly journals Testosterone is associated with harem maintenance ability in free-ranging grey-headed flying-foxes, Pteropus poliocephalus

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 758-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan M. Klose ◽  
Justin A. Welbergen ◽  
Elisabeth K. V. Kalko
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Mating Period ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Harem Size ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Original Size ◽  
Complex Forms ◽  
Free Ranging

Males of many vertebrate species aggressively defend their reproductive interests by monopolizing females, and the ‘challenge hypothesis’ predicts that testosterone levels in reproductive contexts rise to facilitate males' competitive behaviours necessary for meeting social challenges. The hypothesis is successful in explaining patterns of testosterone secretion in many avian species, but remains comparatively unexplored in mammals. ‘Circulating plasma testosterone levels (T)’ were studied in relation to harem maintenance in grey-headed flying-foxes, Pteropus poliocephalus . In this species, harems provide mating opportunities and so a male's ability to maintain a harem is likely to correlate with his fitness. We hypothesized that if T reflect a male's ability to withstand challenges from competitors, then T should be linked to successful harem maintenance. To test this, we temporarily removed males from their territories prior to and during the short mating period, recording their harem sizes both before removal and after reintroduction. Most males successfully reclaimed their territory and a harem, but during the mating period, males with higher T had harems closer to their original size, and males with lower T suffered reduction in harem size. Our findings highlight the role of T in harem maintenance in a major mammalian taxon with complex forms of social organization.

Movements of Australian flying foxes (Pteropodidae: Megachiroptera).

1965 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
JE Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Food Supply ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Summer Camps ◽  
Surrounding Area ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Coastal Species ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Immature Form

Evidence is presented to show that the coastal species Pteropus poliocephalus and P. gouldi congregate in large camps from early until late summer. In these large summer camps the young are born and raised, the sexes become associated, and conception occurs. The numbers within these camps are influenced by the availability of blossom in the surrounding area. The adults are normally dispersed during the winter while the immature form winter camps. These camps contain a larger percentage of adults in those winters in which blossom is more abundant. The inland species P. scapulatus forms large camps in early summer but the young are born in autumn when the population is dispersed. Since the food supply of P. scapulatus is less dependable and undergoes greater fluctuations than that of the coastal species, P. scapulatus is more nomadic than P. poliocephalus and P. gouldi.

scholarly journals Flight Physiology of Flying Foxes, Pteropus Poliocephalus

1985 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 619-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger E. Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Thermal Conductance ◽  
Power Input ◽  
Allometric Equation ◽  
Evaporative Heat Loss ◽  
Flying Foxes ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Flight Range ◽  
Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽  
Ventilation Rates

Oxygen consumption was measured during flight in two flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) at airspeeds of 4–8.6ms−1. There was good agreement with the measured power input of the only previously measured large bat, and with an allometric equation predicting power input for flying vertebrates. Measurements of respiratory exchange ratios, pulmonary water loss, respiratory frequencies, heart rates and body temperatures of both bats flying at intermediate airspeeds were compared with equivalent measurements on other bats or birds in flight. Despite a high non-evaporative thermal conductance in flight, the P. poliocephalus became severely hyperthermic at ambient temperatures (Ta) above 25°C. The failure to dissipate heat as successfully as flying birds at high Ta is apparently the result of an inability to increase pulmonary ventilation rates, and thus increase rates of evaporative heat loss. The effect of airspeed on endurance was measured systematically on one bat. Endurance was not limited by energy reserves at all airspeeds, and flight times were significantly greater at the airspeed of minimum power input (Vmp). The endurance of both bats was so reduced at the higher airspeeds that they would not achieve maximum flight range in still air at the velocity where cost of locomotion is lowest. Contrary to a common assumption, flight range would be maximized at the Vmp.

scholarly journals Selecting a suite of potential partner sites for the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary to aid shorebird conservation in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Mehlman ◽  
James A. Fitzsimons ◽  
Arkellah Irving ◽  
Jason Irving ◽  
Boze Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Management ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
Migratory Shorebirds ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Migratory shorebird species depend on a suite of interconnected sites and protection of these sites as part of a network is an increasingly used conservation approach. Partnering sites based on shared migratory bird species can be a powerful tool for implementing conservation action. To assist the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary (AIBS), South Australia, in expanding their conservation impact across the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, we generated a list of 81 sites to consider for potential partnerships. We developed the list using existing shorebird count data for seven high priority migratory shorebirds that spend the austral summer at AIBS, such as Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) and Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris). We computed a scaled abundance across all species to develop a categorical indicator of importance of each potential site for its shared species richness and abundance. Based on assessments of literature, existing conservation plans, and interviews with experts, we also evaluated each potential site’s feasibility for ecotourism, conservation management, and existing or potential partnerships. This process resulted in a list of 20 sites for the AIBS to consider for possible partnerships in nine countries that met some combination of values for shared shorebird species, inclusion in one or more current site designation schemes, existing or potential opportunities for tourism, habitat management, or partnerships. Additional sites that either have high or medium abundances of shared shorebird species or that have been designated as important by other criteria (Ramsar, Important Bird and Biodiversity Area) were identified. We recommend this methodology be applied to other sites seeking to form cross-boundary partnerships to help further the conservation of highly mobile species.

Seasonal and annual foraging movements of little penguins from Phillip Island, Victoria

1999 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 705 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Collins ◽  
J. M. Cullen ◽  
P. Dann
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
Breeding Colony ◽  
Foraging Range ◽  
The North ◽  
Foraging Movements ◽  
North And South

Little penguins, Eudyptula minor, from a breeding colony on Phillip Island, Victoria were radio-tracked at sea during incubation, chick-rearing and non-breeding periods from 1991 to 1993. Their locations, which we have assumed to reflect foraging movements, varied according to season and breeding activities, and there were marked differences from year to year. Duration and distance of trips ranged from single day-trips a few kilometres from Phillip Island, typically during the breeding season, to longer trips outside the breeding season up to 500 km away lasting more than a month, but 95% of all birds located were within 20 km of the coast. In the breeding season foraging trips averaged 4.4 days during incubation compared with 2.1 days when there were chicks in the nest; in the non-breeding period foraging trips took 5.2 days on average. The duration of trips for adults feeding chicks increased with the age of the chicks. Birds from nests on the north and south sides of Phillip Island differed in their use of areas close to the island, but showed a similar distribution on more distant trips. The location of foraging trips is discussed in relation to information on the abundance of prey species of fish within the foraging range of the birds.

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