Abstract
Leaves are an important dietary source of carbohydrates and protein, and an especially rich source of calcium for bats. Most studies of leaf eating by fruit bats have suggested that only male bats feed on leaves. In this study, 23 wild-caught Tongan fruit bats (Pteropus tonganus) were used in feeding trials conducted in an outdoor enclosure. The number of leaves and percentage of each leaf eaten were recorded for each bat on a daily basis, and these data were then multiplied by a calcium constant that was derived from a chemical analysis of leaves from Callophylum neo-ebudicum. Leaves of C. neo-ebudicum that were available in the enclosure were consumed by 82.7% of the bats. Overall, males consumed leaves in greater quantities and with higher frequency than females. Bats that consumed leaves on a regular basis consumed up to 46% more calcium to their diet compared with bats that did not regularly consume leaves. Leaves may represent a readily available, widely used, concentrated source of minerals for foraging bats, and have the potential to contribute significantly to the total amount of ingested calcium.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Banack, S. A. 1996. Flying foxes, genus Pteropus, in the Samoan Islands: interactions with forest communities. Ph.D. dissertation. University of California, Berkeley.
R. M. R. Barclay (1994) ArticleTitleConstraints on reproduction by flying vertebrates: energy and calcium Am. Nat. 144 1021–1031
R. M. R. Barclay (1995) ArticleTitleDoes energy or calcium availability constrain reproduction in bats? Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond. 67 245–258
R. T. F. Bernard A. Davison (1996) ArticleTitleDoes calcium constrain reproductive activity in insectivorous bats? Some empirical evidence for Schreibers’ long-fingered bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) S. Afr. J. Zool. 31 218–220
F. Bronner (2003) ArticleTitleMechanisms and functional aspects of intestinal calcium absorption J. Exp. Zool. 30 IssueID1 47–52
K. Funakoshi H. Watanabe T. Kunisaki (1993) ArticleTitleFeeding ecology of the northern Ryukyu fruit bat, Pteropus dasymallus dasymallus, in a warm-temperate region J. Zool. (Lond.) 230 221–230
B. J. Harris H. G. Baker (1959) ArticleTitlePollination of flowers bats in Ghana Niger. Field 24 151–159
T. H. Kunz C. A. Diaz (1995) ArticleTitleFolivory in fruit bats with new evidence from Aritbeus jamaicensis Biotropica 27 106–120
T. H. Kunz K. A. Ingalls (1994) ArticleTitleFolivory in bats: an adaptation derived from frugivory Funct. Ecol. 8 665–668
T. H. Kunz O. T. Oftedal S. R. Robson M. B. Kretzmann C. Kirk (1995) ArticleTitleChanges in milk composition during lactation in three species of insectivorous bats J. Comp. Physiol., B 164 545–551
J. B. Lowry (1989) ArticleTitleGreen-leaf fractionation by fruit bats: is this feeding behaviour a unique nutritional strategy for herbivores? Aust. Wildl. Res. 16 203–206
A. G. Marshall (1985) ArticleTitleOld world phytophagous bats (Megachiroptera) and their food plants: asurvey Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 83 351–369
L. R. McDowell (1992) Minerals in Animal and Human Nutrition Academic Press New York
P. H. Miles N. S. Wilkinson L. R. McDowell (2001) Analysis of Minerals for Animal Nutrition Research EditionNumber3 Department of Animal Sciences, The University of Florida Gainesville, FL
Nelson, S. L. 2003. Nutritional ecology of old-world fruit bats: a test of the calcium-constraint hypothesis. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Florida, Gainesville.
S. L. Nelson M. A. Miller E. J. Heske G. C. Fahey SuffixJr. (2000) ArticleTitleNutritional quality of leaves and unripe fruit consumed as famine foods by the flying foxes of Samoa Pac. Sci. 54 301–311
K. Parry-Jones M. L. Augee (1991) ArticleTitleFood selection by grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) occupying a summer colony site near Gosford, New South Wales Wildl. Res. 18 111–124
E. D. Pierson T. Elmqvist W. E. Rainey P. A. Cox (1996) ArticleTitleEffects of tropical cyclonic storms on flying foxes on the South Pacific Islands of Samoa Conserv. Biol. 10 438–451
K. M. Rajan N. G. Nair R. Subbaraj (1999) ArticleTitleSeasonal food preference of the Indian short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx (Vahl) (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 9 24–27
C. T. Robbins (1993) Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition Academic Press New York
J. Ruby P. T. Nathan J. Balasingh T. H. Kunz (2000) ArticleTitleChemical composition of fruits and leaves eaten by the short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx J. Chem. Ecol. 26 2825–2841
R. R. Sokal F. J. Rohlf (1995) Biometry W. H. Freeman and Co. San Francisco
K. H. Tan A. Zubaid T. H. Kunz (1998) ArticleTitleFood habits of Cynopterus brachyotis (Muller) (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Peninsular Malaysia J. Trop. Ecol. 14 299–307
R. A. Tedman L. S. Hall (1985) ArticleTitleThe morphology of the gastrointestinal tract and food transit time in the fruit bats Pteropus alecto and Pteropus poliocephalus (Megachiroptera) Aust. J. Zool. 33 625–640
Trail, P. 1994. The Phenology of Rainforest Plants in Tutuila, American Samoa. Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, American Samoa.
Whistler, W. A. 1994. Botanical inventory of the proposed Tutuila and Ofu units of the National Park of American Samoa. Univ. Hawaii Coop. Natl. Park Resour. Stud. Tech. Rep. 87, University of Hawaii, Manoa.
W. Wickler U. Seibt (1964) ArticleTitleField studies of the African fruit bat, Epomophorus wahlbergi (Sundovall), with special reference to male calling Z. Tierpsychol. 40 345–376
M. Zortea S. L. Mendes (1993) ArticleTitleFolivory in the big fruit-eating bat, Artibeus lituratus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in eastern Brazil J. Trop. Ecol. 9 117–120
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Luis F. Bacardi Graduate Fellowship, the Disney Conservation Fund, and the National Park of American Samoa. We thank USDA Land Grant (American Samoa) and the National Park of American Samoa for their help with many aspects of this project. This is paper #110 of the Lubee Bat Conservancy.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nelson, S.L., Kunz, T.H. & Humphrey, S.R. Folivory in Fruit Bats: Leaves Provide a Natural Source of Calicum. J Chem Ecol 31, 1683–1691 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-005-5920-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-005-5920-y