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Straw-coloured fruit bat
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Division:	Chordata
Class:	Mamalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Pteropodidae
Genus:	Eidolon
Species:	E. helvum
Binomial name
Eidolon helvum Kerr, 1792
Straw-coloured Fruit Bat range

The straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) is the most widely distributed of all the African megabats. It is quite common throughout its area ranging from southwestern Arabian Peninsula, forest and savanna zones of Africa (south of the Sahara) and to the offshore island of Madagascar. They have recently been upgraded to Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List due to a decreasing population trend. Straw-coloured fruit bats travel in massive colonies of at least 100,000 and sometimes massing to 1 million. Their neck and back are a yellowish-brown colour, while their underside is tawny olive or brownish. This is one of the larger species of fruit bats.

Appearance

The straw-coloured fruit bat got its name from the silky yellowish or straw colour of its exterior. The wings are black, and the back hair is pale and somewhat tawny. Males are generally bright orange, compared to the females which are usually silky yellowish. They have large cheeks, eyes, and ears. The average weight of these bats ranges from 8 to 12 oz (230 to 340 g) and the animals grow to 5.7 to 9 in (14 to 23 cm) in length, with wings spanning up to 30 in (76 cm). Males are generally larger than females. The bat's heart is very large, and its wings are long and tip tapered. The cheeks of the bat are also large and like pouches.

Lifestyle

The straw-coloured fruit bat is a highly social species. They tend to live in groups of over 100,000 and at times that number may increase to almost one million. In the nighttime, the colony leaves the roost in smaller groups to find any food which is in forests near to their environment or any plantations that also may be near.

They find food by sight and smell and also have been seen chewing on soft wood for the moisture. These bats can also pollinate flowers and disperse seeds through the forests. This bat is the main agent of for the rare African tree Milicia excelsa.

Although they feed at night, straw-coloured fruit bats are not necessarily nocturnalnocturnal. During the day, they will be found resting moving along the colony. Year to year, season to season, the bats will be using the same place that they found food the previous year or season.

Diet

The diet of the straw-coloured fruit bats varies depending on whether they are living in captivity or not. Wild bats usually eat bark, flowers, leaves, nectar, and fruits. In captivity, they are fed various bat mixes, apples, oranges, bananas, grapes and cantaloupe. In some zoos they are also fed a marmoset diet and vegetables.

Origin

Eidolon helvum is the most widely distributed fruit bat in Africa, and perhaps the world. It appears mainly in Africa, mostly among the sub-Saharan climates, and in many forest and savanna zones, around the southwestern Arabian peninsula, and also found in Madagascar. Specifically the bats are mainly found in tropical forests, but also found in urban areas where human activity does not seem to disturb it. The savannas is also another key area where the fruit bat is also found. It has been found at a maximum altitude of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It prefers tall trees for roosts. It is found mainly around south of Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique is used usually for migration purposes.

Notes

1. Jacksonville Zoo Information on Straw Colored Bats
2. Arkon Zoo Information on Straw Colored Bats
3. Taylor, D. A. R. et al. The role of the fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, in seed dispersal, survival, and germination in Milicia excelsa, a threatened West African hardwood. Northern Arizona University School of Forestry.
4. Oregon Zoo Information on Straw Colored Bats
5. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

References

Mickleburgh, S., Hutson, A.M., Bergmans, W., Fahr, J. & Racey, P.A. 2008. Eidolon helvum. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. www.iucnredlist.org.

• Misplaced Pages articles needing copy edit from April 2012
• Articles with broken or outdated citations from April 2012
• IUCN Red List near threatened species
• Eidolon
• Mammals of Africa