Indian short-nosed bat
| Indian short-nosed bat | ||||||||||||
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Indian short-nosed bat |
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| Cynopterus sphinx | ||||||||||||
| ( Vahl , 1797) |
The Indian or great short-nosed bat ( Cynopterus sphinx ) is a fruit bat of the genus Cynopterus that is widespread in Southeast Asia .
description
The Indian short-nosed bat is a medium-sized flying fox with an average wingspan of 380 mm, a head-torso length of 99.1 mm and an average weight of 38.5 g in males and 46.5 g in females (sexual dimorphism ). The tail is short (13-18 mm) and both the first and second fingers end in a claw. The snout is short and wide with the tubular nostrils typical of this genus.
Males and females differ in the color of the collar. In females it is cinnamon-colored, while that of the male has a stronger, olive-brown color. In Indonesia , males have an orange collar. The rest of the fur is usually gray-brown to cream-colored. The skin of the ears, face and feet is a dark gray with a slight purple tinge.
Way of life
The Indian short-nosed bat is a relatively common species. It can be found in forests and agricultural areas up to a height of 400 m . The species feeds on fruits such as figs , guava , mango , date palms and plantains , as well as various flowers. The Indian short-nosed bat is an agile flyer that can eat nectar, flowers and fruit without having to land. Transportable fruits are often picked and eaten at a feeding place some distance away. Its diet makes the Indian short-nosed bat an important pollinator and seed disperser .
Although the Indian short-nosed bat can hear ultrasound in the frequency between 12 and 16 kHz, unlike other bats, it does not use echolocation calls for orientation .
The Indian short-nosed bat forms groups of up to 20 animals in tree hollows and in the canopy of various trees, as well as sometimes on buildings, in caves and ruins. Like most members of the genus Cynopterus , the Indian short-nosed bat is one of the only known flying foxes that modify leaves in such a way that a tent-like structure is created under which the animals find shelter. The males gnaw the midrib of the leaves of palms , annones and bananas so that the leaf collapses. Depending on the type of tree, the construction of a tent can take up to 50 days. It is believed that the females within a group form the harem of the male who built the tent. This allows the males to ensure that they are the fathers of the young.
Reproduction
The females come into the oestrus twice a year . Mating takes place in October and November and in February and March after the birth. The wearing time is 115 to 125 days. The birth takes place in February and March as well as in June and July, whereby mostly a single young animal is brought into the world. The animals can thus already be pregnant again while they are still suckling the previous young animal. Newborns weigh an average of 11 g, but they gain weight quickly. After 45 to 50 days, they weigh 35 g and are independent of the mother. The animals reach full body size at the age of two months. Females reach sexual maturity earlier than males and can become pregnant for the first time as early as 5 months. Males do not become sexually mature until they are 15 to 20 months old.
Research has shown that Indian short-nosed bat dogs practice fellatio . Researchers suspect that this can extend the sexual act.
distribution and habitat
The Indian short-nosed bat is widespread from Pakistan across South and Southeast Asia to central Indonesia and the south coast of China . In China, the species occurs in the southern provinces of Guangxi , Yunnan , Hainan , Guangdong , Hong Kong and Fujian in the south of the country, and it may penetrate into the south of Tibet . In Indonesia, the fruit bat is native to all of Sumatra , the Mentawai Islands , west of Java , south Borneo and Sulawesi as well as Bali and Sumbawa Besar . In 1968 the species was also registered on Timor .
Threat and protection
Its population is classified by the IUCN as safe and with increasing population sizes thanks to its wide distribution. In some areas the species is considered a pest or has medicinal benefits, which is why it is hunted locally.
literature
- JF Storz, TH Kunz: Cynopterus sphinx. In: Mammalian Species. No. 613, 1999, pp. 1-8.
- Don E. Wilson : Greater Short-Nosed Fruit Bat. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; Pp. 329-330. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ M. Tan, G. Jones, G. Zhu, J. Ye, T. Hong et al .: Fellatio by Fruit Bats Prolongs Copulation Time. In: PLoS ONE. 4 (10), 2009, p. E7595. doi: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0007595 .
- ↑ Don E. Wilson : Lesser Short-Nosed Fruit Bat. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 329. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
- ^ Robert E. Goodwin: The bats of Timor: systematics and ecology . Bulletin of the AMNH; v. 163, article 2, 1979.
- ↑ Cynopterus sphinx in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .