Bats roosting in my porch: 5. Fruits, nectar and pollen

YC Wee
on 13th August 2014

The Common Fruit Bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) that have been roosting in my porch brought with them fruits or portions of them to eat, littering the floor below with their bits and pieces. They have the habit of carrying the fruits to the roost to eat, although sometimes they also eat from the tree.

Remnants of fruits that these bats left include figs (Ficus spp.), chiku (Manilkara zapota) (above), guava (Psidium guajava), date palm (Elaeis guineensis), mango (Mangifera indica), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), mata kuching (N. malaiense), etc. Such eating behaviour helps seed dispersal of their food plants.

Besides fruits, these bats take nectar and pollen from flowers of banana (Musa cultivars) LINK, African sausage tree (Kigelia aethiopica) (above), midnight horror (Oroxylum indicum)…

…durian (Durio zibethinus) (above), kapok (Ceiba pentandra) (below), etc. and in the process assist in pollination. Most of these trees have large flowers, open at night and emit a characteristic harsh odour that attracts the bats.

YC Wee
Singapore
August 2014

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

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From looking at birds to studying birds: The story of the Bird Ecology Study Group. Part 1: Looking at Birds.

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5 responses

  1. Pingback: Bird Ecology Study Group Bats in my porch: 11. Figs
  2. Pingback: Bird Ecology Study Group Bats in my porch: 17. Folivory
  3. Pingback: Bird Ecology Study Group The day a fruit fell from above…
  4. Pingback: Bird Ecology Study Group Cave Nectar Bats taking nectar from banana flowers
  5. Pingback: Bird Ecology Study Group Bats roosting in my porch: 24. A bag of red chillies

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