Cage experiments in which the Malagasy endemic Rousettus madagascariensis was presented with ten fruit species (one native and the rest introduced, three of which are commercially important), showed that the bats prefer native and commercially unimportant figs (Ficus polita), rose apple (Syzigium jambos) and mountain apple (S.malaccense) to the cash crops of litchis (Litchi chinensis) and Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki). These important results provide a perspective on the dietary preferences of fruit bats and should be repeated on other genera of pteropodids (such as Cynopterus and Pteropus). The authors also suggest that planting Syzigium around commercial fruit trees may reduce the predation pressure of bats on such fruit.
A.R.Andrianaivoarivelo, R.K.B.Jenkins, E.J.Petit, O.Ramilijaona, N.Razafindrakoto & P.A.Racey. (2012) Rousettus madagascariensis (Chiroptera:Pteropodidae) shows a preference for native an commercially unimportant fruits. Endangered Species Research. 19:19-27.
The article can be found here: http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr_oa/n019p019.pdf
This journal provides Open Access for developing world authors
Progress Summary, February 19, 2012
Prepared by Tammy Mildenstein and C.E. Nuevo
A progress report is available for the revision of the 1992 IUCN Old World Fruit Bat Conservation Action Plan (see attached below). At this point, the project is >20% through with revising the species accounts. We have completed literature searches as well as compiled expert lists and conservation-relevant bibliographies for 66 species (34% of all Pteropodids). For 51 of these species, we have solicited and received revision suggestions from experts and are currently collating responses for editing into final account drafts for review. We have sent 890 revision out to experts on 51 species and have a rate of return of roughly 13%, most of which are from conference participants with whom we have interacted directly (AP Revision Progress.xls).
 AP progress update Jan 2012.doc | [ ] | 38 Kb |
 AP Revision Progress Report | [ ] | 69 Kb |
| Approach to Revision | [ ] | 33 Kb |
Read more: Old World Fruit Bat Conservation Action Plan - Revision
We've got some happy news from Malaysia to help celebrate the Year of the Bat! We're very pleased to announce that the state government of Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia has just agreed to protect flying foxes!
This is a translation of a news article from a national TV news station (MetroTV) reporting on the mystery of bats disappearing from a West Java pilgrimage tourism area. Although the article does not say as much, I know the bats are Pteropus vampyrus
Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi supports an extraordinarily diverse assemblage of pteropodids, with 16 species documented. This diversity may in part reflect the great altitudinal range (from 350 to 2100 m a.s.l.) and diversity of vegetation types that combine to produce 17 habitat types. In a recent issue of Hysterix - Italian Journal of Mammalogy, Ibnu Maryanto and colleagues from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) report on their standardized survey of the park in which they mist-netted for bats from 7 altitudinal zones of 11 vegetation types.