Cave Nectar Bat
Encyclopedia
Cave Nectar Bat common name
s also include Dawn Bat, Common Dawn Bat, Common Nectar Bat and Lesser Dawn Bat , is a species of megabat
within the genus Eonycteris
. Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical moist montane
s and cave
s, and it is threatened by habitat loss. E. spelaea is the sole pollinator of the durian
fruit, a crop that contributes $120 million US dollars to the economies of Southeast Asia
each year.
, China
, Southeast Asia
, Philippines
, Sumatra
, Java
and Borneo. It had been previously recorded from Gomantong, Sukau, Segama and Madai in Sabah
; Niah, Sungai Tinjar and Kuching in Sarawak
; and Sungai Tengah and Kutai in Kalimantan
.
in forest fringe in Wang Pinang and in regenerated habitat at Gunong Gading National Park. The regenerated area was used for agriculture
and contained banana
plots. There were ten males, ten females and three could not be sexed. Sixteen were adults, four subadults, two immatures and one was not aged before release. Females banded in March 1997 at Wang Pinang were lactating. At the same date a male from Wang Pinang had enlarged testes during that period. A female from Sungai Dusun was in postlactation in May 1997. The presence of subadults and immatures between March and May at Wang Pinang, Sungai Dusun and Taleban suggesting of births occurred a few months before.
In Batu Caves
, in Peninsular Malaysia
, Beck and Lim observed that there was no evidence that E. spelaea had a regular reproductive pattern . More than 50% of the adult females were pregnant or lactating every month during the study period 1966 to 1968. Peak pregnancy rates occurred in May - June and October - November in 1966 and in April - May and September 1967. Parturition and lactation periods occurred during heavy and low rainfalls. High rates of parturition were recorded in June and November 1966 and June and September 1967. The weaning period finished approximately eight weeks after birth. Gestation
period was estimated between 6 to 6.5 months in Malaysia and three to four months in India . By using four months gestation, Heideman projected that parturition in Negros occurred in January, May, July, September, November and December. In north-east India, E. spelaea lactate for five to eight weeks . On Leyte Island
, the Philippines
, females carrying neonates or juveniles suggested a seasonal and synchronous pattern of reproduction . Tidemann et al. reported that two pregnant females and 60% juveniles were collected on Lombok Island in September. In May, seven individuals were pregnant and one was a juvenile. Their data indicated that birthings for the species occurred before the on-set of the rainy season in October and most immatures from the recent parturient season were flying.
E. spelaea usually roosts in small colonies in caves . The bat flies long distances in search of flowering trees; feeds on pollen and nectar . Ecologically, the cave nectar bat is found to be a major pollinator
of many forest trees including the commercially important durian
s (Durio) in Malaysia . An adult female (forearm length 67 millimetres or 2.6 in, weight 53.5 grams or 1.9 oz) from Gading was netted with a Ficus species fruit weighing 13 gram (0.458561507366456 oz).
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s also include Dawn Bat, Common Dawn Bat, Common Nectar Bat and Lesser Dawn Bat , is a species of megabat
Megabat
Megabats constitute the suborder Megachiroptera, family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera . They are also called fruit bats, old world fruit bats, or flying foxes.-Description:...
within the genus Eonycteris
Eonycteris
Eonycteris is a genus of megabats found in Asia. Species within this genus are:*Greater Nectar Bat, Eonycteris major*Cave Nectar Bat, Eonycteris spelaea*Philippine Dawn Bat, Eonycteris robusta...
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical moist montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
s and cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s, and it is threatened by habitat loss. E. spelaea is the sole pollinator of the durian
Durian
The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...
fruit, a crop that contributes $120 million US dollars to the economies of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
each year.
Distribution
E. spelaea is found in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and Borneo. It had been previously recorded from Gomantong, Sukau, Segama and Madai in Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
; Niah, Sungai Tinjar and Kuching in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
; and Sungai Tengah and Kutai in Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
.
Biology and ecology
This species were caught near fruiting FicusFicus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
in forest fringe in Wang Pinang and in regenerated habitat at Gunong Gading National Park. The regenerated area was used for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and contained banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
plots. There were ten males, ten females and three could not be sexed. Sixteen were adults, four subadults, two immatures and one was not aged before release. Females banded in March 1997 at Wang Pinang were lactating. At the same date a male from Wang Pinang had enlarged testes during that period. A female from Sungai Dusun was in postlactation in May 1997. The presence of subadults and immatures between March and May at Wang Pinang, Sungai Dusun and Taleban suggesting of births occurred a few months before.
In Batu Caves
Batu Caves
Batu Caves , is a limestone hill, which has a series of caves and cave temples, located in Gombak district, north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village.The cave is one of the...
, in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
, Beck and Lim observed that there was no evidence that E. spelaea had a regular reproductive pattern . More than 50% of the adult females were pregnant or lactating every month during the study period 1966 to 1968. Peak pregnancy rates occurred in May - June and October - November in 1966 and in April - May and September 1967. Parturition and lactation periods occurred during heavy and low rainfalls. High rates of parturition were recorded in June and November 1966 and June and September 1967. The weaning period finished approximately eight weeks after birth. Gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
period was estimated between 6 to 6.5 months in Malaysia and three to four months in India . By using four months gestation, Heideman projected that parturition in Negros occurred in January, May, July, September, November and December. In north-east India, E. spelaea lactate for five to eight weeks . On Leyte Island
Leyte Island
Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines.The island measures about 180 km north-south and about 65 km at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins Samar, separated by the San Juanico Strait, which becomes as narrow as 2 km in some places...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, females carrying neonates or juveniles suggested a seasonal and synchronous pattern of reproduction . Tidemann et al. reported that two pregnant females and 60% juveniles were collected on Lombok Island in September. In May, seven individuals were pregnant and one was a juvenile. Their data indicated that birthings for the species occurred before the on-set of the rainy season in October and most immatures from the recent parturient season were flying.
E. spelaea usually roosts in small colonies in caves . The bat flies long distances in search of flowering trees; feeds on pollen and nectar . Ecologically, the cave nectar bat is found to be a major pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
of many forest trees including the commercially important durian
Durian
The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...
s (Durio) in Malaysia . An adult female (forearm length 67 millimetres or 2.6 in, weight 53.5 grams or 1.9 oz) from Gading was netted with a Ficus species fruit weighing 13 gram (0.458561507366456 oz).