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
