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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

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Maximum longevity: 21.8 years (captivity) Observations: Although the gestation period takes at least 9 months, the embryonic development is completed in 4 months (Ronald Nowak 1999).
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Behavior

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Little information on communication in this species could be found. However, these animals are reported to be quite noisy. In addition to being loud eaters, they apparently chatter to one another in their roosts, indicating that some form of acoustic commmunication is employed. Because they roost in such large groups, it is likely that individuals come into physical contact frequently, and so probably use some sort of tactile communication as well.

Communication Channels: tactile ; acoustic

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Conservation Status

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This is a very abundant and common species that has no legal protection.

US Migratory Bird Act: no special status

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Life Cycle

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The young are the result of delayed implantation. The embryonic development is 4 months before partrution with a birth weight of 45-50 grams. (Nowak, 1997)

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Benefits

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Agriculture is greatly affected by E. helvum because these bats live in large colonies that roost near their food source. They can feed heavily in plantations. It is difficult to assess the relative utility of the species as a polinator, versus its negative impact as a crop pest.

Negative Impacts: crop pest

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Benefits

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E. helvum are an important diet item for humans in some areas. Straw-colored fruit bats are also important pollinating agents for economically important trees in families Moracea and Bombacear.

Positive Impacts: food ; pollinates crops

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Associations

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Because these bats visit flowers, they play a role in pollination. They also serve as agents in seed dispersal.

Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds; pollinates

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Trophic Strategy

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E. helvum is frugivorous. Food is can be consumed while hanging by the phalanges of the feet. The food is eaten noisily. The juices are ingested and the fibrous material is discarded. In addition to consuming fruit juices, these animals are reported to chew up wood and bark, apparently to obtain moisture.

Foods eaten include: Borassus spp., dates, baobab flowers, Adansonia digitata, Bombax spp., Erythrina spp., mangoes, pawpaws, avocado pears, figs, passion fruit, custard apples and loquats.

Plant Foods: wood, bark, or stems; fruit

Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore , Frugivore )

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Distribution

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Eidolon helvum is the most widely distributed African fruit bat. It occurs in most of the subsaharan African continent in forest and savannah zones, the southwestern Arabian penninsula, and Madagascar. A good portion of southern Africa south of Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique is used for migration purposes.

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Habitat

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These bats occupy a wide range of habitats, from coastal forests to dry, arid regions are used during the year. Prime habitat is tropical forests because of the abundance of food. Straw-colored fruit bats are found at elevations from sea level to 2000 m. These animals typically roost in tall trees, but have also been found in caves. There is great interaction with human communities as well.

Range elevation: sea level to 2000 m.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest

Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban ; agricultural

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Life Expectancy

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Fifteen years is the expected life span of E. helvum. Some individuals do make it to their early twenties, and one individual is reported to have reached 21 years and ten months of age.

Range lifespan
Status: captivity:
22 (high) years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild:
15 years.

Average lifespan
Status: captivity:
21.8 years.

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Morphology

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E. helvum is not entirely straw-colored as its common name would suggest. The neck and back display this signature color while the ventral side of the body is a duller color of brown or grey.

This is one of the larger species of fruit bats. The males are slightly larger than the females. The head and body length is reported to be between 143 and 215 mm. Weights range between 230 and 350 g.

The wings are large and narrow, allowing the bat to fly long distances and not expend as much energy trying to flap them a lot. The wingspan can reach as much as 762 mm.

The head is large and pointed with large eyes and no white facial markings. (Happold, 1987)

Range mass: 230 to 350 g.

Range length: 143 to 215 mm.

Range wingspan: 762 (high) mm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Associations

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Little information is available on species which prey upon these bats. Suspected predators include owls, eagles, snakes, buzzards, and civets. Humans are know to consume E. helvum in Zaire and West Africa.

Known Predators:

  • humans (Homo sapiens)
  • flies (Cyclopodia greefi)
  • owls (Strigiformes)
  • eagles (Accipitridae)
  • buzzards (Accipitridae)
  • snakes (Serpentes)
  • civets (Viverridae)
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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Reproduction

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Information on the mating system of these animals is lacking.

Mating occurs in colonies from April to June. The reproductive cycle responds to rainfall, and allows weaning of young to proceed at the time of greatest food availability.

Pairs breed when the dry season begins. There is a delay in the implantation of the embryo in most, but not all, populations. The gestation period typically lasts 9 months, but the embryo only takes 4 months to develop. In populations without delayed implantation, births occur just 4 months after mating.

The young are born in February and March. Females give birth to a single offspring that weighs 50 grams at birth.

Breeding interval: These animals breed annually.

Breeding season: These bats breed from April to June

Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.

Average number of offspring: 1.

Average gestation period: 9 months.

Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous ; delayed implantation

Average birth mass: 50 g.

Average gestation period: 275 days.

Average number of offspring: 1.

The straw-colored fruit bat has female parental care, like all other mammals. The female nurses her offspring until it is ready to forage on its own. In this species, young are not able to fly at birth,and so are considered altricial. Although females give birth to their young in large colonies, there are no reports of cooperative care of young, nor of paternal involvement in care of offspring.

Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female)

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Ruiz, K. 2002. "Eidolon helvum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eidolon_helvum.html
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Kia Ruiz, Humboldt State University
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Brian Arbogast, Humboldt State University
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Nancy Shefferly, Animal Diversity Web
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Straw-coloured fruit bat

provided by wikipedia EN

The straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) is a large fruit bat that is the most widely distributed of all the African megabats. It is quite common throughout its area ranging from the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, across forest and savanna zones of sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List due to a decreasing population trend. Straw-coloured fruit bats travel in massive colonies of at least 100,000 bats and sometimes massing up to 1 million. From October to end of December every year, in the largest migration of mammals on the planet, up to 10 million straw-coloured fruit bats congregate in Kasanka National Park, Zambia, roosting in a 2 hectare area of Mushitu forest each day. This migration was only discovered in 1980.[2][3] Their necks and backs are a yellowish-brown colour, while their undersides are tawny olive or brownish.

Description

The straw-colored fruit bat was named based on its yellowish fur

The straw-coloured fruit bat is named for the silky yellowish or straw colour of its fur. The wings are black, and the back hair is pale and tawny. Males are generally bright orange and females are usually yellowish. The bats have large cheeks, eyes, and ears. The average weight of these bats ranges from 8 to 12 oz (230 to 340 g) and the animals grow to 5.7 to 9 in (14 to 23 cm) in length, with wings spanning up to 30 in (76 cm). Males are generally larger than females. The bat's heart is very large, and its wings are long and tapered at the tip. The cheeks of the bat are also large and pouch-like.[4]

Behaviour and ecology

The straw-coloured fruit bat is a highly social species. The bats tend to live in groups of over 100,000 and at times that number may increase to almost one million. At night the bats leave the roost in smaller groups to find food by sight and smell. They have also been seen chewing on soft wood for moisture. These bats can also pollinate flowers and disperse seeds through the forests. They are the main agents of seed dispersal for the increasingly rare and economically significant African teak tree Milicia excelsa.[5]

Although they feed at night, straw-coloured fruit bats are not necessarily nocturnal. During the day, they will be found resting and moving among the colony. Year to year, season to season, the bats will return to the same place where they found food the previous year or season.

The mating season of straw-coloured fruit bats is from April to June and is not synchronized among the bats. Implantation is delayed until October and is synchronized with all females implanting during this time.[6] The delay corresponds one of two dry periods in the home range of the bats. Birth occurs in February and March.[7]

Diet

The diets of straw-coloured fruit bats vary depending on whether or not they are living in captivity. Wild bats usually eat bark, flowers, leaves, nectar, and fruits. In captivity, they are fed various mixes, including apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, and cantaloupe. In some zoos, they are also fed a marmoset diet.[8]

Distribution and habitat

The straw-coloured fruit bat is the most widely distributed fruit bat in Africa, and perhaps the world. It appears mainly in Africa, mostly among the sub-Saharan climates, in many forest and savanna zones, and around the southwestern Arabian peninsula. It can also be found in urban areas and at altitudes up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It prefers tall trees for roosting.

Threats

The straw-coloured fruit bat is hunted as bushmeat in West and Central Africa.[9]

In 2011, it was estimated that about 128,400 straw-coloured fruit bats are traded as bushmeat every year in four cities in southern Ghana.[10]

References

  1. ^ Cooper-Bohannon, R.; Mickleburgh, S.; Hutson, A.M.; Bergmans, W.; Fahr, J.; Racey, P.A. (2020). "Eidolon helvum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T7084A22028026. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T7084A22028026.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ Beamer, B. "How to Catch a Bat". National Geographic. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  3. ^ Pumfrett, Belinda (7 November 2018). Bats About Kasanka. ARC Zambia. ISBN 978-9982-70-630-8. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  4. ^ Akron Zoo Information on Straw Colored Bats
  5. ^ Taylor, D. A. R. et al. The role of the fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, in seed dispersal, survival, and germination in Milicia excelsa, a threatened West African hardwood. Northern Arizona University School of Forestry.
  6. ^ Kingdon, Jonathan . (1974). East African mammals. Volume 2A: Insectivores and bats. London: Academic Press. pp. 146–152. ISBN 9780124083028.
  7. ^ Fayenuwo, J. O.; Halstead, L. B. (22 May 1974). "Breeding Cycle of Straw-Colored Fruit Bat, Eidolon helvum, at Ile-Ife, Nigeria". Journal of Mammalogy. 55 (2): 453–454. doi:10.2307/1379016. JSTOR 1379016.
  8. ^ Oregon Zoo Information on Straw Colored Bats
  9. ^ Mickleburgh, S.; Waylen, K.; Racey, P. (2009). "Bats as bushmeat: a global review" (PDF). Oryx. 43 (2): 217–234. doi:10.1017/S0030605308000938.
  10. ^ Kamins, A. O.; Restif, O.; Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y.; Suu-Ire, R.; Hayman, D. T.; Cunningham, A. A.; Wood, J. L. & Rowcliffe, J. M. (2011). "Uncovering the fruit bat bushmeat commodity chain and the true extent of fruit bat hunting in Ghana, West Africa". Biological Conservation. 144 (12): 3000–3008. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.09.003. PMC 3323830. PMID 22514356.

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Straw-coloured fruit bat: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

The straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) is a large fruit bat that is the most widely distributed of all the African megabats. It is quite common throughout its area ranging from the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, across forest and savanna zones of sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List due to a decreasing population trend. Straw-coloured fruit bats travel in massive colonies of at least 100,000 bats and sometimes massing up to 1 million. From October to end of December every year, in the largest migration of mammals on the planet, up to 10 million straw-coloured fruit bats congregate in Kasanka National Park, Zambia, roosting in a 2 hectare area of Mushitu forest each day. This migration was only discovered in 1980. Their necks and backs are a yellowish-brown colour, while their undersides are tawny olive or brownish.

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