Macroglossus
Encyclopedia
The Long-tongued Nectar Bat (Macroglossus minimus) is a species of megabat
. M. minimus is one of the smallest species in the family Pteropodidae with an average length of 60 - 85 mm. They have a reddish brown colouring with relatively long hair compared to the other species. The hair on the abdomen is a lighter colour and there is a dark brown stripe running bilaterally down the top of the head and back.
s recorded during the present study. The species
was observed at 11 locations in Borneo
: Batang Ai, Tanjung Datu, Gunung Gading, Padawan, Samunsam and Kampong Temirat in Sarawak; Poring, Gunung Silam and Tawau in Sabah; and Sungai Kakap in Kalimantan Barat.
The species had a wide range including Thailand
, Peninsular Malaysia
, south Philippines
, Java
, Borneo
, New Guinea
, Solomon
and northern Australia
(Payne et al. 1985). In Borneo it had been recorded from Kota Kinabalu
, Sepilok, Sukau and Tawau
in Sabah
; Bandar Sri Begawan in Brunei
; Bareo, Niah and Bako
in Sarawak
; Gunong Kenepi, Kutai and Sungai Tengah in Kalimantan
.
and in July at Tawau Hills and Poring. Five other males netted at Tawau and Poring in July had enlarged testes indicating they were sexually active. An immature was captured in June 1996 at Padawan and from June to July subadults (n = 24) were netted near the forest edges of Tawau Hills and Poring including the mangrove swamp at Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary. Two females from Poring, Sabah were pregnant in July from the Pontianak area in Kalimantan Barat was pregnant in September. A tagged female released from a canopy net at Poring was later recaptured about 250 m at the forest edge.
In Malaysia, Start (1974) estimated that gestation
period for Macroglossus minimus was approximately 120 ± 10 days, lactation
was between 60 to 70 days and polyoestrous female with breeding interval of 140 to 160 days. In Negros, the Philippines, females probably produced 2 to 2.5 young per year (Heideman 1987). In different locations in Philippines and Malaysia the species also reproduced aseasonally and synchronously in response to food abundance (Heideman 1987; Start 1974). Three females collected in September and October on Lombok Island were lactating and parturition was recent (Kitchener et al., 1990). At Ampenam on Lombok, births occurred throughout the year and at Suranadi Park pregnant and lactating females were collected in August through October (Gunnell et al.1996). A female collected by Lim et al. (1972) in June in Sarawak was pregnant. In New Guinea, births occurred all year round (Flannery 1990). Gunnell et al. (1996) reported that the forearm growth rate was 0.24 mm/day and weight gain 0.07 g per day and free-flying immature had forearm 35.2 mm and weight 8.6 g.
Unlike the C. brachyotis, this species was not recorded in a flock
, which suggest of small group or solitary social group. Mangrove
and banana
flowers are among the sources of the nectar and pollens fed on by the species in Malaysia (Payne et al. 1985). Ecologically, the long-tongued nectar bat plays a major role as pollinator
of many trees including Bignoniaceae, Bombaceae, Leguminosae, Musaceae, Myrtaceae, Musaceae and Sonneratiaceae in Peninsular Malaysia (Start and Marshall 1976). M. minimus has been recorded in coastal mangrove
, dipterocarp forest, and lower montane
forest up to 1000 m (Payne et al. 1985). It feeds on nectar and pollen. M. minimus was caught in Nypa and mangrove swamps, coconut
and banana
plantation
s, forest edges with banana clumps and shifting cultivation
areas.
—
Contrary to the museum
observation by Payne et al. (1985), an adult male (MTA96272) from Pontianak had a tail-like projection measuring 5.18 mm. The observation is consistent with records of a tail structure measuring between 3.10 to 4.24 mm for subadults found in Sabah and Sarawak. Museum specimen
s fixed in formalin and preserved in alcohol
are known to shrink after a period of time, and thus that small tail could be missed.
Macroglossus sobrinus (Andersen) Hill long-tongued fruit bat.
M. sobrinus can be isolated from M. minimus by using external morphological measurements. Comparatively, M. sobranus is than M. minimus in the forearm length (43.35 to 46.95 mm vs 40 to 43 mm) and head length (30.05 to 30.54 mm vs 26 to 28 mm) and heavier body weight (17 to 23 g vs 13 to19 g) (Medway 1978). However, the tail length (0-2 mm versus 0-5 mm) and hind foot (8 - 9 mm versus 15-18 mm) disagreed to that of Lekagul and McNeely (1977).
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:...
. M. minimus is one of the smallest species in the family Pteropodidae with an average length of 60 - 85 mm. They have a reddish brown colouring with relatively long hair compared to the other species. The hair on the abdomen is a lighter colour and there is a dark brown stripe running bilaterally down the top of the head and back.
Distribution
M. minimus represents about 14% (n = 133) of the total fruit batFruit Bat
Fruit Bat can refer to:* Megabats, a species of bat which eats fruit* Les "Fruitbat" Carter, guitarist of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine* Fruit Bats , an American band...
s recorded during the present study. The species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
was observed at 11 locations in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
: Batang Ai, Tanjung Datu, Gunung Gading, Padawan, Samunsam and Kampong Temirat in Sarawak; Poring, Gunung Silam and Tawau in Sabah; and Sungai Kakap in Kalimantan Barat.
The species had a wide range including Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, 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...
, south 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...
, 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...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
and northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Payne et al. 1985). In Borneo it had been recorded from Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
, Sepilok, Sukau and Tawau
Tawau
Tawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division, Malaysia and the third largest town of Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.-Geography:...
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...
; Bandar Sri Begawan in Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
; Bareo, Niah and Bako
Bako National Park
Bako National Park, established in 1957, is the oldest national park in Sarawak, eastern Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It covers an area of at the tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula at the mouth of the Bako and Kuching Rivers. It is approximately by road from 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...
; Gunong Kenepi, Kutai and Sungai Tengah 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
Males constituted 53% and females 47% of the total captures. About 77% were adults and the remaining were subadults and fledging immatures. Pregnancy in females (n = 5) was observed in September 1996 at PontianakPontianak, Indonesia
Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan. It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo. Pontianak occupies an area of 107.82 km² in the delta of the Kapuas River...
and in July at Tawau Hills and Poring. Five other males netted at Tawau and Poring in July had enlarged testes indicating they were sexually active. An immature was captured in June 1996 at Padawan and from June to July subadults (n = 24) were netted near the forest edges of Tawau Hills and Poring including the mangrove swamp at Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary. Two females from Poring, Sabah were pregnant in July from the Pontianak area in Kalimantan Barat was pregnant in September. A tagged female released from a canopy net at Poring was later recaptured about 250 m at the forest edge.
In Malaysia, Start (1974) estimated that 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 for Macroglossus minimus was approximately 120 ± 10 days, lactation
Lactation
Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process occurs in all female mammals, however it predates mammals. In humans the process of feeding milk is called breastfeeding or nursing...
was between 60 to 70 days and polyoestrous female with breeding interval of 140 to 160 days. In Negros, the Philippines, females probably produced 2 to 2.5 young per year (Heideman 1987). In different locations in Philippines and Malaysia the species also reproduced aseasonally and synchronously in response to food abundance (Heideman 1987; Start 1974). Three females collected in September and October on Lombok Island were lactating and parturition was recent (Kitchener et al., 1990). At Ampenam on Lombok, births occurred throughout the year and at Suranadi Park pregnant and lactating females were collected in August through October (Gunnell et al.1996). A female collected by Lim et al. (1972) in June in Sarawak was pregnant. In New Guinea, births occurred all year round (Flannery 1990). Gunnell et al. (1996) reported that the forearm growth rate was 0.24 mm/day and weight gain 0.07 g per day and free-flying immature had forearm 35.2 mm and weight 8.6 g.
Unlike the C. brachyotis, this species was not recorded in a flock
Flock
-Computing:* Flock , a defunct web browser* Flock system call, used for computer file locking* F-Lock, a function lock key on a computer keyboard-Entertainment:* Flock , a sculpture by Michael Christian...
, which suggest of small group or solitary social group. Mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
and 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....
flowers are among the sources of the nectar and pollens fed on by the species in Malaysia (Payne et al. 1985). Ecologically, the long-tongued nectar bat plays a major role as 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 trees including Bignoniaceae, Bombaceae, Leguminosae, Musaceae, Myrtaceae, Musaceae and Sonneratiaceae in Peninsular Malaysia (Start and Marshall 1976). M. minimus has been recorded in coastal mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
, dipterocarp forest, and lower 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...
forest up to 1000 m (Payne et al. 1985). It feeds on nectar and pollen. M. minimus was caught in Nypa and mangrove swamps, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
and 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....
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s, forest edges with banana clumps and shifting cultivation
Tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...
areas.
—
External measurements
78 samples. FA = 41.11±1.62, TL = 3.29±1.57 (9), EL = 13.46±1.18, TB = 16.59±1.01, WT = 14.76±2.54, WS = 290-316 (2), D5 = 54.50-58.69 (3).Contrary to the museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
observation by Payne et al. (1985), an adult male (MTA96272) from Pontianak had a tail-like projection measuring 5.18 mm. The observation is consistent with records of a tail structure measuring between 3.10 to 4.24 mm for subadults found in Sabah and Sarawak. Museum specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
s fixed in formalin and preserved in alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
are known to shrink after a period of time, and thus that small tail could be missed.
Macroglossus sobrinus (Andersen) Hill long-tongued fruit bat.
M. sobrinus can be isolated from M. minimus by using external morphological measurements. Comparatively, M. sobranus is than M. minimus in the forearm length (43.35 to 46.95 mm vs 40 to 43 mm) and head length (30.05 to 30.54 mm vs 26 to 28 mm) and heavier body weight (17 to 23 g vs 13 to19 g) (Medway 1978). However, the tail length (0-2 mm versus 0-5 mm) and hind foot (8 - 9 mm versus 15-18 mm) disagreed to that of Lekagul and McNeely (1977).