Movements of Fruit-bats in eastern Australia, determined by using radio-tracking

Spencer, HJ; Palmer, Carol; Parry-Jones, Kerryn

doi:10.1071/wr9910463

Cited by 60 publications

(44 citation statements)

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“…Forests & Lands 1991;Eby 1991Eby , 1995Eby , 1998Parry-Jones & Augee 1991a,b;Spencer et al 1991;Falkingham 1995;Menkhorst 1995;Peake et al 1996;Firth 1998;Hall & Richards 2000). Fruit, flowers, pollen, nectar and in rare cases leaves, of 187 plant species from 50 taxonomic families have been previously recorded as food for P. poliocephalus.…”

Section: The Diet Of P Poliocephalusmentioning

confidence: 95%

Range expansion due to urbanization: Increased food resources attract Grey‐headed Flying‐foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) to Melbourne

Williams¹,

McDonnell²,

Phelan³

et al. 2006

Austral Ecology

104

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Urbanization profoundly alters the biota of areas that become cities and towns. Many species are introduced by humans while indigenous species often decline. Although these changes are well known, the longterm ecological effects of new species and their interactions are seldom considered and rarely documented. This study examines changes in diversity and temporal availability of the food resources of Pteropus poliocephalus (Greyheaded Flying-fox) in the Melbourne region using a variety of historical and current data sources. Our results indicate that urbanization has influenced the distribution, abundance and ecology of P. poliocephalus through a dramatic increase in the quantity and temporal availability of food resources. Prior to European settlement, only 13 species recorded in the range-wide diet of P. poliocephalus grew in the Melbourne area. Compilations of streettree databases indicate that an additional 87 species have been planted on Melbourne's streets and that there are at least 315 500 trees that are able to provide food for P. poliocephalus. Phenology records indicate that street trees have lengthened the temporal availability of food for P. poliocephalus. A period of natural food scarcity between May and August has been ameliorated by street trees which have provided nectar and a previously absent fruit resource. These changes are likely to be a major factor contributing to the recent range expansion of P. poliocephalus and the establishment of a permanent camp in Melbourne.

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Section: The Diet Of P Poliocephalusmentioning

confidence: 95%

Range expansion due to urbanization: Increased food resources attract Grey‐headed Flying‐foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) to Melbourne

Williams¹,

McDonnell²,

Phelan³

et al. 2006

Austral Ecology

104

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“…526 Table 2. The vegetation types used to assess the foraging vegetation available within a 20 km radius of camps of P. alecto and P. scapulatus in the Northern Territory of Australia, based on the main groupings of the 112 vegetation types recognized by Wilson et al (1990) Vegetation types Equivalent to de®ned in this study Wilson et al (1990) Brief description foraging range of P. alecto, based on previous studies of this species and the similarly sized P. poliocephalus (McWilliam, 1985±86;Eby, 1991;Spencer et al, 1991;Palmer & Woinarski, 1999;Tidemann et al, 1999;Tidemann, 1999). Vegetation within the 20 km radius was taken to represent the foraging resources readily available to the occupants of camps.…”

Section: Determination Of Foraging Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal habitat use by flying‐foxes, Pteropus alecto and P. scapulatus (Megachiroptera), in monsoonal Australia

Vardon

Brocklehurst²,

Woinarski

et al. 2001

Journal of Zoology

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Distributions of¯ying-fox (Pteropus alecto and P. scapulatus) were examined in relation to use of habitat in the essentially natural landscape of northern Australia. There were differences between the species in terms of the vegetation used for roosting and foraging, which were related to the reproductive cycle and seasonal variation in temperature, rainfall and the availability of preferred foods. Important habitats of P. alecto varied seasonally and included¯oodplain, mangrove, monsoon rainforest, Melaleuca open-forest, and Eucalyptus miniata/E. tetrodonta open-forest and woodland. The minimum scale at which conservation of P. alecto should be attempted is in the order of 5000 km 2 , based on seasonal patterns of habitat use. The size of this area will make conservation via traditional reserves dif®cult and conservation of important habitats outside reserves will be needed. Habitats protected for the bene®t of P. alecto will also bene®t P. scapulatus but because P. scapulatus is more mobile, displays greater yearly variation in distribution and is less well understood than P. alecto, appropriate conservation actions are less certain.

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“…During the day, it forms large colonies amongst the foliage and branches of canopy trees (Klose et al 2009a;Nelson 1965a;Welbergen 2005). At dusk, it emerges from the colony and flies up to 50 km foraging for fruit, nectar and pollen (Eby 1991;Spencer et al 1991;Welbergen 2006Welbergen , 2008. The species provides a wide range of ecosystem services, including the pollination of wild and cultivated crops and seed dispersal (Fujita and Tuttle 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fit females and fat polygynous males: seasonal body mass changes in the grey-headed flying fox

Welbergen

2010

Oecologia

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When females and males differ in their timing of maximum reproductive effort, this can result in sex-specific seasonal cycles in body mass. Such cycles are undoubtedly under strong selection, particularly in bats, where they affect flying ability. Flying foxes (Old World fruit bats, Pteropus spp.) are the largest mammals that can sustain powered flight and therefore face critical trade-offs in managing body reserves for reproduction, yet little is known about body mass dynamics in this group. I investigated body mass changes in relation to reproductive behaviour in a large colony of grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus). In this polygynous mammal, females were predicted to maximise reproductive effort during lactation and males during the breeding season. As predicted, female body condition declined during the nursing period, but did not vary in relation to sexual activity. By contrast, males accumulated body reserves prior to the breeding season, but subsequently lost over 20% of their body mass on territory defence and courtship, and lost foraging opportunities as they also defended their day roost territories at night. Males in better condition had larger testes, particularly during territory establishment, prior to maximum sexual activity. Thus, the seasonality of female mass reflected the high metabolic load that lactation imposes on mothers. However, male mass followed a pattern akin to the "fatted male phenomenon", which is commonly observed in large polygynous mammals with seasonal reproduction, but not in bats. This shows the importance of body reserves for reproduction in flying foxes, despite their severe constraints on body mass.

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Movements of Fruit-bats in eastern Australia, determined by using radio-tracking

Cited by 60 publications

References 0 publications

Range expansion due to urbanization: Increased food resources attract Grey‐headed Flying‐foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) to Melbourne

Range expansion due to urbanization: Increased food resources attract Grey‐headed Flying‐foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) to Melbourne

Seasonal habitat use by flying‐foxes, Pteropus alecto and P. scapulatus (Megachiroptera), in monsoonal Australia

Fit females and fat polygynous males: seasonal body mass changes in the grey-headed flying fox

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