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Because Rodriguez fruit bats are frugivores, they do not echolocate. Instead, they have good vision and sense of smell, which allows them to find their food. Since scent marking is used to denote territories, olfactory communication must play some role in this species. No specific information on the communication of P. rodricensis is available; however, other members of the genus Pteropus are known to communicate with vocalizations, which vary depending up on the situation. Also, communication behaviors associated with mating involve vocal, visual, olfactory, and tactile signals. These bats are likely to resemble other members of the genus with respect to communication.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Pteropus rodricensis is threated with extinction due to habitat loss. In addition to habitat destruction by humans, natural disasters like cyclones have significantly reduced the population. Although cyclones would have had little impact on this species historically, with reductions in rainforest cover, there is currently no buffer provided by additional rainforest when damage occurs because of storms.
Since 1992, Rodriguez flying foxes have been a part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), and have been successfully breed in captivity. However, it has not yet been reintroduced to its native habitat.
US Federal List: endangered
CITES: appendix i
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: critically endangered
Although there are no known adverse effects of P. rodricensis on humans, some farmers mistakenly believe that they damage fruit orchards.
Rodriguez fruit bats pollinate crops and disperse the seeds of plants and trees. They also eat the fruits that are too ripe to be harvested.
Positive Impacts: pollinates crops
Pteropus rodricensis helps the rainforest to regenerate by dispersing seeds, which are spit out during feeding. This aids recovery of the forest after cyclones and human destruction. This bat also helps to pollinate plants and trees as it feeds off pollen.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds; pollinates; creates habitat
Pteropus rodricensis, a frugivore, uses its sight and smell to find food. Rodriguez fruit bats are nocturnal. At dusk, individuals fly to fruit trees where they feed, rest, digest their food for several hours before returning to the roosting site. Rodriguez flying foxes drink fruit juices by crushing the fruit in the mouth and pressing the tongue against the upper plate. Juice and soft pulp are swallowed, but the bat spits out the skin, hard pulp, and seeds in the form of a pellet. The usual diet consists of bananas (Musa spp.), guavas (Psidium spp.), mangoes (Magifera spp.), papayas (Carica spp.), figs (Ficus spp.), breadfruit (Treculia africana), ripe tamarind pods (Tamarindus spp.), flowers, nectar, pollen and sometimes leaves or bark.
Plant Foods: leaves; wood, bark, or stems; fruit; nectar; pollen; flowers
Primary Diet: herbivore (Frugivore )
Pteropus rodricensis, also known as Rodriguez flying foxes or Rodriguez fruit bats, lives only on the Island of Rodriguez, a part of Mauritius located in the southern Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. Rodriguez is sometimes spelled "Rodrigues" in the literature.
Biogeographic Regions: indian ocean (Native )
Other Geographic Terms: island endemic
Due to the destruction of much of the natural environment of Rodriguez, Rodriguez flying foxes are confined to Cascade Pigeon, a small wooded valley on the island. These bats depend on dense rainforest habitat and roost in mature trees. These trees protect the bats from frequent cyclones.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Information on the lifespan of this species is inadequate, but according to the Lubee Bat Conservancy, Pteropus species can live for approximately 30 years in captivity. The Lubee Foundation has a unique collection of species housed in captivity which includes various species of the genus Pteropus. Observation of other Pteropus species held in captivity indicate that individuals typically live between 9 and 17 years. Pteropus rodricensis is probably similar to other species of the same genus in terms of longevity.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 28 years.
Pteropus rodricensis has thick fur and is usually a dark chestnut brown color with a layer of golden-brown covering the head, neck, and shoulders. It is often called a “Golden Bat;" however, its color can also vary between black, silver, yellow-orange, and red. The body is from 15 to 20 cm long, and the wingspan from 50 to 90 cm. Individuals weigh between 300 and 350 g. There is no tail.
Rodriguez flying foxes have large eyes and large, widely spaced ears. Each thumb and second finger has a claw, and the claw on the thumb is hooked for climbing. Males and females look the same, although males are generally larger.
The basal metabolic rate of these animals is reported at 134.9 cubic cm of oxygen per hour.
Range mass: 300 to 350 g.
Range length: 15 to 20 cm.
Range wingspan: 50 to 90 cm.
Average basal metabolic rate: 134.9 cm3.O2/g/hr.
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike; male larger
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.753 W.
There is no information available on predators of Rodriguez flying foxes.
In general, mating for Rodriguez flying foxes is random and promiscuous. They form harems of one male and up to 8 females. Males attract and retain females using vocal and flight displays; these are also ways that males defend their territory, which they scent-mark by rubbing their head, neck, and chest on branches. Rodriguez fruit bats are very social animals; however, males tend to roost alone, whereas females of different harems may roost together in large colonies.
Mating System: polygynous
In the wild, Rodriguez flying foxes breed from October to December. Females produce only one offspring per breeding season. In captivity, however, breeding occurs throughout the year and a female can produce up to two offspring per year.
Gestation lasts from 120 to 180 days. Newborns typically weigh around 20 to 30% of the mother's weight. It usually takes the female about 40 minutes to give birth. In order to give birth, she hangs right-side up from her thumbs and catches the baby with the patagium of her wings.
It is believed that females give birth alone. However, an assisted birth in captivity has been observed. The female in labor was struggling to give birth and was in the wrong position; instead of being right-side up, she was in roosting position. Another female "tutored" the mother, showing her the proper birthing position, and helped stimulate birth by licking the mother's vagina. Only with the help of the "midwife" bat was the mother able to finally give birth. Although this is an isolated example of allomaternal care, it may not be unusual in this species. Because Rodriguez flying foxes usually give birth in areas that are difficult to observe, few births in the wild have been documented.
Rodriguez flying foxes are born fully furred. The eyes are wide open and the infant is alert. Because wings are underdeveloped, newborn pups cling to their mothers' bellies and drink from the teats under their mothers' armpits. The pups have sharp milk teeth, which firmly attach to the mother's fur. These milk teeth eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth. The baby stays attached to its mother for about 30 days, until it becomes too heavy to carry, after which it is left at the roost. At about 50 days, the pup starts exploring the roost area and flaps its wings to strengthen them. Interactions with other pups in the roost help to develop social skills.
After 2 to 3 months, pups are flying and are fully weaned, although they still roost with their mothers. Rodriguez fruit bats do not become fully independent until 6 to 12 months after birth. These bats reach maturity at 1 to 2 years of age.
Breeding interval: Rodriguez flying foxes breed once yearly.
Breeding season: Rodriguez fruit bats breed seasonally from October to December.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Range gestation period: 120 to 180 days.
Range weaning age: 2 to 3 months.
Range time to independence: 6 to 12 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 12 to 24 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 12 to 24 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; viviparous
Average birth mass: 45 g.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Sources have not provided any information on the various forms of parental investment by P. rodricensis. Females provide their young with milk and protection. Also, because pups have a limited ability to regulate their body temperature, the mother's selection and maintenance of a thermal environment are important aspects of parental care. The role of males is not exactly clear. Information on the parental investment of the family Pteropodidae is also limited.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
