No abstract

Fruit bats are used as food by the Minahasan tribe in North Sulawesi. This is evident in some traditional markets where various species of fruit bats are sold. As a consequence, bats are continually over hunted for human consumption, threatening bat populations. This study aims to identify bat species sold in traditional markets in Dumoga district, North Sulawesi. Field surveys were performed and data collected in three traditional markets namely Ibolian, Imandi, and Dumoga, located nearby the Nani Warta Bone National Park. The collected samples were identified using morphometric measurements and physical characteristics, then analyzed by descriptive method. From these markets were identified and consisted of Acerodon celebensis, Dobsonia exoleta, Neopteryx frosti, Styloctenium wallacei, Rousettus amplexicaudatus, Thoopterus nigrescens, Nyctimene chephalotes, and unknown species. Five of these bat species are endemic to Sulawesi (Acerodon celebensis, Dosonia exoleta, Neopteryx frosti, Styloctenium wallacei, and Thoopterus nigrescens). According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red-List, two species have declined status (Styloctenium wallacei Near Threatered (NT), and Acerodon celebensis Vulnarable (VU)), and one species is threatened with extinction status (Neopteryx frosti endangered (EN)).

Abstract. Ransaleleh TA, Wahyuni I, Kawatu M, Nangoy MJ, Wiantoro S. 2021. Behavior of the black flying fox, Pteropus alecto (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in cages. Biodiversitas 22: 5657-5665. Hunting and illegal trading have become a common thread for the black flying fox in Sulawesi, Indonesia. However, information on its biology and behavior as a baseline for conservation and management program is still lacking. Therefore, this study aims to examine the behavioral activities of black flying fox, Pteropus alecto (Temminck, 1837) kept in cages through direct observation. The results showed that feeding was carried out by descending to the bottom of the cage before picking up fruits with the mouth and wings. Furthermore, the time associated with this process ranged from 06.01 to 10.00, while agonistic behavior performed using claws and wings took place from 10.01 to 14.00 in the daytime and 22.01 to 02.00 at night. Grooming was carried out using the tongue and wings, from 14.01 to 18.00 during the day and 22.01 to 02.00 during the night. Subsequently, the bats slept by perching with the eyes closed and the whole body wrapped with the wings from 02.01 to 10.00, while locomotion and stationary behaviors were performed by perching with eyes open and flying around the cage with the wings spread apart from 10.01 to 14.00 during the day and 22.01 to 02.00 at night. The percentage of day and night behavior activities consist of agonistic 0.12%, grooming 6.14%, eating 19.36%, sleeping 56.33%, and stationary and locomotive 17.76%. The results improve the understanding of P. alecto's daily activities in the cage which are difficult to observe in the wild and provide insight for conservation and wildlife management. Furthermore, information from this study is useful for future bat captivity programs.

Bats have been known as natural reservoirs for potential emerging infectious viruses, such as Lyssaviruses, Coronaviruses, Ebola viruses, Nipah virus, and many others. Because of their abudance in population, wide distribution and mobility, bats have a greater risk as source for zoonotic transmission than other animals. Despite the facts of their role as reservoirs for many pathogens, not until an epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2003 and Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, that people pay much attention about coronavirus in bats. SARS-like virus also found in bats with a higher prevalence rate. This study aims to detect the coronavirus of bats in Gorontalo province Indonesia, characterization at the molecular level of the coronavirus genome and determining the level of kinship (through trees filogenetic). This study was conducted as part of bigger PREDICT Indonesia project, in particular to examine coronavirus in bats from Gorontalo province, Indonesia.  As many as  95 rectal swab samples collected from flying foxes (Pteropus alecto) were analyzed in the laboratory using Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique to amplify the target sequence from RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) gene with 434 basepair product, resulted 24 samples determined as presumptive positive. Eight out of 24 presumptive positive samples by PCR were analyzed further by nucleotide sequencing and confirmed coronavirus positive. Phylogenetic tree analyses to the eight coronavirus confirmed-sequences were constructed with MEGA-6.0 . The conclusion was 24 out of 95 samples suggested as presumptive positive to Bat CoV. Eight out of 24 samples were analyzed further by nucleotide sequencing and have similarities in the kinship. Three samples had the 98% nucleotide identity to BatCoV from Indonesia and five samples were 85-88% nucleotide identity to BatCoV from Thailand.

THE EFFECT OF WHITE TURMERIC (Curcuma mangga Val.) ADDITION ON CHICKEN MEAT AGAINST WATER CONTENT, pH AND MICROORGANISM NUMBERS. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of the addition of white turmeric (Curcuma manggaVal.) on chicken meat at cold storage (4oC). This research used Split Plot Design with 2 treatment factors based on completely randomized design. The Main Plot contains of 4 treatments (A0 = without storage, A1 = 3 days storage, A2 = 6 days storage, A3 = 9 days storage) and the Sub Plot contains of 4 treatments (B0 = without white turmeric, B1 = 4% grating of white turmeric, B2 = 8% grating of white turmeric, B3 = 12% grating of white turmeric). The variable that observed are water content, pH and microorganism number. The result showed that the addition of white turmeric was not significant affected (P > 0.05) against water contentof chicken meat, however it was highly significant affected (P < 0.01) against pH and microorganism numbers of chicken meat. Storage time was highly significant affected (P <0.01) against water content, pH and microorganism numbers of chicken meat. The interaction between both of treatment factors was given highly significant affected (P < 0.01) against water content, pH and microorganism numbers of chicken meat. As a conclusion, the addition of white turmeric on chicken meat was not affected against water content, however it can decrease pH and obstruct microorganism activity. Keywords : chicken meat, white turmeric, pH, water content, microorganism numbers