SEABCRU » Pteropodidae

New species record for Lao PDR

Joe Chun-Chia Huang — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 22:52:43 +0000

More species from Lao PDR! A male Hill Fruit bat (Sphaerias blanfordi) was found by a research team of scientists from National University of Laos, Prince of Songkla University, and Harrison Institute from northern Lao PD. The new country record was reported by Bounsavane Douangboubpha and his colleagues, including Dr. Sara Bumrungsri and Dr. Paul Bates, two steering committee members of SEABCRU, and the result was published in the 2012 August issue of Tropical Natural History. This finding is not only the 95th bat species to the country but also fills the gap of its distribution among China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Original citation: Douangboubpha, B., D. Sanamxay, V. Xayaphet, S. Bumrungsri, and P. J. J. Bates. 2012. First record of Sphaerias blanfordi (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) from Lao PDR. Tropical Natural History, 12(1): 117-122.

Free article can be accessed here.

Rousettus prefers native and commercially unimportant fruits.

Paul Racey — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 21:06:28 +0000

Cage experiments in which the Malagasy endemic Rousettus madagascariensis was presented with ten fruit species (one native and the rest introduced, three of which are commercially important), showed that the bats prefer native and commercially unimportant figs (Ficus polita), rose apple (Syzigium jambos) and mountain apple (S.malaccense) to the cash crops of litchis (Litchi chinensis) and Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki). These important results provide a perspective on the dietary preferences of fruit bats and should be repeated on other genera of pteropodids (such as Cynopterus and Pteropus). The authors also suggest that planting Syzigium around commercial fruit trees may reduce the predation pressure of bats on such fruit.

A.R.Andrianaivoarivelo, R.K.B.Jenkins, E.J.Petit, O.Ramilijaona, N.Razafindrakoto & P.A.Racey. (2012) Rousettus madagascariensis (Chiroptera:Pteropodidae) shows a preference for native an commercially unimportant fruits. Endangered Species Research. 19:19-27.

The article can be found here: http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr_oa/n019p019.pdf

This journal provides Open Access for developing world authors

Cave bat populations on Panay Island, Philippines

Jodi Sedlock — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:34:13 +0000

Anthony Mould, of the Philippine Spotted Deer Conservation Foundation, recently made an important contribution to our understanding of cave bat populations in the Philippines by publishing data on bat populations recorded from 21 caves on Panay Island in the central Philippines. In addition to documenting 12 bat species occupying these caves, Mould and his colleagues identified and suggested that special conservation attention be given to a large maternity colony of Rousettus amplexicaudatus. This fruit bat, while not formally listed as threatened, may be declining rapidly across the archipelago due to hunting. Mould’s paper not only provides detailed written observations, it also includes sketches of each cave surveyed indicating the location of roosting bats. This paper provides a good model (and inspiration) for all of us sitting on cave bat survey data.

Mould, A. 2012. Cave bats of the central west coast and southern section of the Northwest Panay Peninsula, Panay Island, the Philippines. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(11): 2993-3028. http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2012/September/antony.htm

Bats of Gunung Stong State Park, Kelantan, Malaysia

Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 20:29:32 +0000

Information of small mammal diversity in Kelantan is still scarce, but a recent survey of small mammals was conducted in Gunung Stong State Park. Trapping with standard mist nets and harp traps generated five new distributional records of bats in Gunung Stong State Park and a first record of Myotis muricola in Kelantan. The study also shows that Gunung Stong State Park is one of the three areas in Peninsular Malaysia where all four Cynopterus species that can be found in Peninsular Malaysia coexist.

The paper is open access and can be downloaded here.

Jayaraj, V.K., N.F.D.A. Tahir, N.A.Udin, N.F.K. Baharin, S.K. Ismail & S.N.A. Zakaria (2012). Species diversity of small mammals at Gunung Stong State Park, Kelantan, Malaysia. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(6): 2617–2628.

A new fruit bat species from Sulawesi

Joe Chun-Chia Huang — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 22:34:20 +0000

A new Pteropodidae species was recently described from southwestern Sulawesi, Indonesia, by SEABCRU members, Dr. Ibnu Maryanto and Mr. Sigit Wiantoro, and their colleagues in Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense. Thoopterus suhaniahae, a median-sized fruit bat, was formerly regarded as a variation of T. nigrescens, but distinguished from its sympatric sibling by larger body size and several morphological traits, including the microstructures of penis in male bats. The species was named after Suhaniah, the wife of Mohamad Yani, which was a coauthor to this paper. “The finding of the new fruit bat species indicates again that the significance of Sulawesi as a hotspot of Pteropodidae in Southeast Asia.” said by Dr. Maryanto, who led this study of the new species.

Source: Ibnu Maryanto, Mohamad Yani, Siti Nuramaliati Prijono and Sigit Wiantoro . 2012. A new species of fruit bat (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae: Thoopterus) from Sulawesi and adjacent islands, Indonesia. RECORDS OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM, Vol. 27: 68-84.

Source: Jakarta Globe online (In English)

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesias-batman-discovers-new-bat-species-around-sulawesi/529437

Source: KOMPAS online (In Bahasa Indonesian)

http://biologi.lipi.go.id/bio_indonesia/mTemplate.php?h=3&id_berita=421

Distinguishing between C. brachyotis and C. cf. brachyotis

Kendra Phelps — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:30:55 +0000

The genus Cynopterus, known as the short-nosed fruit bats or dog-faced fruit bats, is widely distributed throughout the Indo-Malayan region of Southeast Asia. Discriminating between species in this genus is rather difficult, and is further complicated by the fact that many species represent a complex of species with lacking information regarding status and distribution. One such species is Cynopterus brachyotis which is represented by two forms: C. brachyotis and C. cf. brachyotis Forest. Differentiation between these 2 forms has typically depended on measures of forearm length, but as Jayaraj et al. (2012) point out, many researchers choose different length values as the cut-off between forms. Thus Jayaraj et al. developed a classification function based on detailed morphometric variation useful for discriminating between 2 forms of Cynopterus brachyotis. Results indicate that C. brachyotis can be identified based on its brown fur that has a pronounced yellowish or reddish tinge and a forearm length greater than 60 mm. Conversely, C. cf. brachyotis Forest has a smaller body size with duller coloration and a forearm length less than 60 mm. Of the 28 morphometrics characters examined, 5 were considered useful for validating identification of museum specimens: forearm length (RL), 3rd molar tooth crown width and length (M3W, M3L), and 3rd digit metacarpal length and 2nd phalanx length (D3MCL, D3P1L). Jayaraj et al. conclude that the 2 forms of C. brachyotis are morphologically distinct, which is congruent with previous results using molecular methods.

Jayarak, V.K, Laman, C.J. and M.T. Abdullah. 2012. A predictive model to differentiate the fruit bats Cynopterus brachyotis and C. cf. brachyotis Forest (Chiroptera: Pteorpididae) from Malaysia using multivariate analysis. Zoological Studies 51: 259-271. Jayaraj et al. 2012 Predictive model to differentiate C. brachyotis

Old World Fruit Bat Conservation Action Plan – Revision

Tammy Mildenstein — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:05:22 +0000

Progress Summary, February 19, 2012

Prepared by Tammy Mildenstein and C.E. Nuevo

A progress report is available for the revision of the 1992 IUCN Old World Fruit Bat Conservation Action Plan (see attached below). At this point, the project is >20% through with revising the species accounts. We have completed literature searches as well as compiled expert lists and conservation-relevant bibliographies for 66 species (34% of all Pteropodids). For 51 of these species, we have solicited and received revision suggestions from experts and are currently collating responses for editing into final account drafts for review. We have sent 890 revision out to experts on 51 species and have a rate of return of roughly 13%, most of which are from conference participants with whom we have interacted directly (AP Revision Progress Report – 27 Jan 2012.xls).

Our approach to revising this Action Plan is inclusive and comprehensive (see Species Account RevisionApproach.doc), which has proved at times difficult given how little is published on this taxon. However, we believe that the end result will encourage and coordinate conservation of fruit bats on many fronts. The up-to-date expert lists have 2-8 times the number of previously-known experts per species and now include many unpublished local biologists who are invaluable as long-term resources for place-based conservation. The bibliographies are current and as comprehensive as possible offering conservation-relevant publications, which are especially important to students and biologists in underdeveloped countries with minimal access to libraries and search engines. Barring any unforeseen obstacles, a conservative estimate for completion of the species account revisions would be in October 2012.

If you have knowledge that you would like to share of the species listed in the spreadsheet, please contact cenuevo(at)gmail(dot)com.

AP progress update Jan 2012

AP Revision Progress Report – 27 Jan 2012

Species Account Revision Approach

Good News for Pteropus vampyrus in Malaysia

Sheema Abdul Aziz — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:00:08 +0000

We’ve got some happy news from Malaysia to help celebrate the Year of the Bat! We’re very pleased to announce that the state government of Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia has just agreed to protect flying foxes!

Under Peninsular Malaysia’s Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, flying foxes can be legally hunted by applying for a licence from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. A group of concerned independent researchers who go by the name Rimba submitted a proposal and met with the state executive councillor in charge of environmental affairs, to lobby for a moratorium on flying fox hunting in the state. And the state government said yes!

Read the news report and related feature articles here:

‘Terengganu bans hunting of flying fox’

‘Gliding towards the brink’

‘Hunting rules’

‘Canine look-alike bats’

Cambodian bat list grows

Tigga Kingston — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:14:04 +0000

The species list for Cambodia continues to climb! Recent surveys and morphological reviews of collections have added five new records, bringing the current count to 66 species. The new records are of Macroglossus minimus, Pipistrellus paterculus, P. javanicus, Hypsugo cadornae and Miniopterus pusillus.

Neil M Furey, Phauk Sophany, Phen Sarith, Chheang Sarak, Ith Saveng, Paul JJ Bates and Gabor Csorba (2012). New country records for five bat species (Chiroptera) from Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History 2: 141-149.

There is also a nice article from FFI on Neil’s work in Cambodia working with FFI and Royal University of Phnom Phen on the Biodiversity Conservation Masters.

Hundreds of bats disappear from West Java

AOXEN — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:53:43 +0000

This is a translation of a news article from a national TV news station (MetroTV) reporting on the mystery of bats disappearing from a West Java pilgrimage tourism area. Although the article does not say as much, I know the bats are Pteropus vampyrus

Monday, 28 November 2011

“Thousand of bats at Situ (Lake) Lengkong, Subdistrict Panjalu, Ciamis Regency, West Java, have suddenly disappeared. This phenomenon happened over almost 3 weeks and has astonished local residents and visitors from the outside area. The reason is because these bats are the symbol of Situ Lengkong pilgrimage tourism site, which has been occupied by bats for hundreds of years.
The bats inhabited a forest reserve in the center of an island at Situ Panjalu. Prabu Aria Kencana pilgrimage tourism area, or more likely well known as The Grave of Boros Ngora, is now free from this nocturnal animal.
The door keeper, Abdul Azis, said, the bats existence here had a big affect on the Situ Lengkong tourist area. This disappearing phenomenon is very surprising as this is the first time it’s happened.
The tourism management staff hope that the bats will return to Situ Panjalu. The cause of the fleeing of hundreds of thousands of bats is not known yet. However, Situ Panjalu residents hope that there are people who can study the forest reserve condition because forest fragmentation is suspected to be the cause of wildlife losses in this ecosystem”
*Situ : Lake in Sundanese

Note from Tigga: It would be great if someone can follow up on this story and let us know if the bats return, particularly if bats really are (were) attracting tourists.