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Figure 1. Cave nectar bat at flower. Image from Cave nectar bat at flower - Stock Image - C033/8515 - Science Photo Library
Introduction
Introduction
The common dawn bat (Eonycteris spelaea) can be found spread widely across most of South Asia and Southeast Asia (Baqi et al. 2022).
Primary Literature Article: The Diet of the Cave Nectar Bat (Eonycteris spelaea) Suggests it Pollinates Economically and Ecologically Significant Plants in Southern Cambodia (Thavry et al. 2017).
Taxonomy
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Eonycteris
Species: Eonycteris spelaea
Background
Background
Small to medium fruit bat with a forearm length less than 90 mm (Baqi et al. 2022)
Colonies range from dozens in small crevices to thousands in large caves roosting (Baqi et al. 2022)
Polygynous and reproduces sexually
Conflicting information about birth and seasonal synchronicity
Common pollinator for durian in the tropical region (Baqi et al. 2022)
Feeds mainly on nectar and pollen (Singaravelan et al. 2009)
Pollinate plants that are economically crucial including durian, like wild banana and petai (Baqi et al. 2022)
Falls prey to animals like snakes and owls, but ability to fly allows them to defend themselves against certain predators that can't
Figure 2. B Eonycteris spelaea on Durio zibethinus flowers. Image from A review of durian plant-bat pollinator interactions (tandfonline.com)
Figure 3. Frequency of plant species in the diet of Eonycteris spelaea in Kampot, southern Cambodia from February 2014 to January 2015. Image from zoolstud-56-017.pdf (nih.gov)
Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Researchers studied the diets of cave nectar bats (Eonycteris spelaea) in Southern Cambodia to see if they pollinate plants that are significant, both economically and ecologically, to the local population (Thavry et al. 2017).
Fecal matter from a colony of 1000-1400 bats were collected for 10 days each month for a year. The bats were residing in a cave in the Kampot province of Southern Cambodia (Thavry et al. 2017).
Pollen was identified by comparisons between the pollen and the description in a reference collection (Thavry et al. 2017).
Results of the experiment show that the diet of Eonycteris spelaea includes 13 different plant taxa at a minimum, with Sonneratia spp. being the most common plant for the majority of the experiment. Figure 3 shows these results graphically, as Sonneratia spp was the most common plant from April 2014 to November 2014 (Thavry et al. 2017).
Conclusion
Conclusion
From this study, it was concluded that the plants discovered in the diet of the bats in Southern Cambodia are also visited by bats in Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Thailand, even though the most common plants in the regions are different. (Thavry et al. 2017).
Because these plants rely on other organisms to grow and produce fruit, this study confirms the importance of Eonycteris spelaea in this ecosystem, and how they maintain the viability of these plants, especially durian plants, in most of Southern Asia (Thavry et al. 2017).
Because of their importance, these researchers recommend that the governments of these areas conserve the populations of dawn bats, as their population would greatly benefit durian farmers in the area (Thavry et al. 2017).
References
References
Baqi, A., Lim, V.-C., Yazid, H., Anwarali Khan, F. A., Lian, C. J., Nelson, B. R., Sathiya Seelan, J. S., Appalasamy, S., Mokhtar, S. I., & Kumaran, J. V. (2021). A review of durian plant-bat pollinator interactions. Journal of Plant Interactions, 17(1), 105–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/17429145.2021.2015466
Singaravelan N, Marimuthu G, Racey PA. Do fruit bats deserve to be listed as vermin in the Indian Wildlife (Protection) & Amended Acts? A critical review. Oryx. 2009;43(4):608-613. doi:10.1017/S0030605309990391
Thavry, H., Cappelle, J., Bumrungsri, S., Thona, L., & Furey, N. M. (2017). The Diet of the Cave Nectar Bat (Eonycteris spelaea Dobson) Suggests it Pollinates Economically and Ecologically Significant Plants in Southern
Cambodia. Zoological studies, 56, e17. https://doi.org/10.6620/ZS.2017.56-17
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