Olfactory discrimination ability of the short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx

Elangovan, Vadamalai; Priya, Elangovan Yuvana Satya; Marimuthu, G.

doi:10.3161/1733-5329(2006)8[247:odaots]2.0.co;2

Cited by 22 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The refusal of E. wahlbergi individuals to feed on some invasive alien species offered to them indicates that they have strong preferences for the fruits on which they feed. Such preferences and how fruit bats discriminate and locate food, for example through olfaction (Elangovan et al 2006;Raghurm et al 2009), in a nocturnal environment should be further investigated and used as screening tools to identify potential bat-dispersed invasive alien fruits. To fully appreciate the role of fruit bats in seed dispersal and seedling recruitment, observations of their feeding behaviour must be combined with their movement patterns within and between various habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) as a potential dispersal agent for fleshy-fruited invasive alien plants: effects of handling behaviour on seed germination

2011

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The spread of invasive alien plants into natural habitats is of growing global concern. Several studies have investigated the role that avian frugivores play in the dispersal of these seeds and their effects on germination success. Fruit bats have however received little attention as important dispersal agents of invasive alien plants, despite their recognized role as long distance dispersal agents of various native flora. We investigated whether Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bats, Epomophorus wahlbergi, would positively influence the germination of seeds of invasive alien plants. These fruit bats were fed fruits of four invasive alien plant species-Psidium guajava, Melia azedarach, Eriobotrya japonica, and Morus alba. Epomophorus wahlbergi were able to process more fruit per gram body mass than birds have been observed to do. Spat and de-pulped control seeds had similar germination success and germinated at approximately the same time for most species. While seeds retained in whole fruit had significantly less germination success than spat seeds for all species, except M. azedarach, they mostly germinated at approximately the same time.Epomophorus wahlbergi can swallow small seeds (\ 2 mm), while seeds larger than this are generally spat out. Large fruit are usually carried away to feeding roosts where seeds are dropped, thereby dispersing seeds and fruits which are too large for some bird species to ingest. Epomophorus wahlbergi should not be underestimated as dispersers of these invasive alien plants as they consume proportionally large amounts (0.62 ± 0.09 to 0.99 ± 0.11 g.g -1 body mass) of fruit, except for M. azedarach, and positively affect their seed germination rates.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) as a potential dispersal agent for fleshy-fruited invasive alien plants: effects of handling behaviour on seed germination

2011

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“…Direct evidence of the importance of olfaction in paleotropical fruit bats is more limited (Möhres and Kulzer 1956, Kulzer 1958, Oldfield et al 1993, Acharya et al 1998, Luft et al 2003, Elangovan et al 2006, Stoddart 1980.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fruit-feeding behaviour and use of olfactory cues by the fruit batRousettus leschenaulti: an experimental study

et al. 2007

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“…C. sphinx is without echolocation ability, so olfaction plays a very important role in their feeding process. C. sphinx used olfaction combined with vision and spatial memory to locate food (Elangovan et al, 2006). And spatial memory was only formed in a stable environment.…”

Section: Landmarks and Spatial Memory Of C Sphinxmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the study mentioned above, G. soricina relys on echolocation to identify and remember the spatial location (Ulf et al, 2008), while the R. aegyptiacus is able to orient and navigate using both vision and echolocation (Richard et al, 2005), pigeons use vision to remember the spatial position of nests and returns to their nests accurately (Strasser & Bingman, 1996). C. sphinx uses olfaction combined with vision and spatial memory to locate food (Elangovan et al, 2006). We believe that C. sphinx uses olfaction combined with vision and spatial memory to form a stable spatial memory in our experiment.…”

Section: Landmarks and Spatial Memory Of C Sphinxmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Landmarks on Spatial Memory in Short-nosed Fruit Bat, <I>Cynopterus sphinx</I>

Zeng¹,

Zhang²,

Zhu³

et al. 2010

Zoological Research

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Abstract:In order to study the relationship between landmarks and spatial memory in short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx (Megachiroptera, Pteropodidae), we simulated a foraging environment in the laboratory. Different landmarks were placed to gauge the spatial memory of C. sphinx. We changed the number of landmarks every day with 0 landmarks again on the fifth day (from 0, 2, 4, 8 to 0). Individuals from the control group were exposed to the identical artificial foraging environment, but without landmarks. The results indicated that there was significant correlation between the time of the first foraging and the experimental days in both groups (Pearson Correlation: experimental group: r=-0.593, P<0.01; control group: r=-0.581, P<0.01). There was no significant correlation between the success rates of foraging and the experimental days in experimental groups (Pearson Correlation: r=0.177, P>0.05), but there was significant correlation between the success rates of foraging and the experimental days in the control groups (Pearson Correlation: r=0.445, P<0.05). There was no significant difference for the first foraging time between experimental and control groups (GLM: F 0.05,1 =4.703, P>0.05); also, there was no significant difference in success rates of foraging between these two groups (GLM: F 0.05,1 =0.849, P>0.05). The results of our experiment suggest that spatial memory in C. sphinx was formed gradually and that the placed landmarks appeared to have no discernable effects on the memory of the foraging space.

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Olfactory discrimination ability of the short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx

Cited by 22 publications

References 26 publications

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) as a potential dispersal agent for fleshy-fruited invasive alien plants: effects of handling behaviour on seed germination

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) as a potential dispersal agent for fleshy-fruited invasive alien plants: effects of handling behaviour on seed germination

Fruit-feeding behaviour and use of olfactory cues by the fruit batRousettus leschenaulti: an experimental study

Influence of Landmarks on Spatial Memory in Short-nosed Fruit Bat, <I>Cynopterus sphinx</I>

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