Geographic Range
Acerodon jubatus
is endemic to the Philippines, with the exceptions of the Palawan region and the
Batanes and Babuyan island groups.
- Other Geographic Terms
- island endemic
Habitat
Acerodon jubatus
roosts in hardwood trees, often on cliff edges or steep, inaccessible slopes. Other
preferred roosting sites include bamboo clumps, mangrove trees, and other swampy forested
areas. Roosting sites are usually located on small, offshore islands.
Acerodon jubatus
has been observed to use disturbed areas for roosting.
When foraging,
Acerodon jubatus
exhibits a strong preference for primary forest or high-quality secondary forest
over disturbed habitat, and may fly long distances (up to 16 km) from its roost to
reach these locations. There is also a preference for river margins, probably due
to their particular plant communities.
Acerodon jubatus
is rarely found foraging in disturbed or agricultural areas, though it regularly
crosses such areas while traveling between forested regions.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- forest
- Wetlands
- swamp
- Other Habitat Features
- riparian
Physical Description
Like other bats in the Family
Pteropodidae
,
Acerodon jubatus
has large, bright eyes and relatively simple external ears with continuous margins.
The ears are about as long as the muzzle and are pointed. There is a claw on the second
digit of each wing. The skull has strong, incomplete postorbital processes, with supraorbital
foramena. The teeth are sharp and pointed, except for the last two molars.
The fur of
Acerodon jubatus
is thin on the throat and ear membranes, absent on the wing membranes, and short
and smooth on the body. There is considerable variation in color but the typical scheme
is dark brown or black on the forehead and sides of the head, reddish brown on the
shoulders, and a dark brown or black on the lower back and underside. The nape ranges
from cream to golden yellow. There is a narrow line of orange at the back of the neck.
Variable numbers of yellow hairs are scattered throughout the fur, especially on the
lower body. Variation in color does not depend on age, sex, or locality.
The head and body length combined ranges from 178 to 290 mm; there is no tail. The
forearm varies between 125 and 203 mm, and the wingspan varies between 1.51 and 1.7
m. Weights between 1050 and 1200 g have been reported, making
Acerodon jubatus
among the largest bats in the world. Males are larger and heavier than females.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- male larger
Reproduction
No information is currently available on the mating system of Acerodon jubatus .
Acerodon jubatus
populations on all islands reproduce at approximately the same time, indicating that
they probably use photoperiod as a cue instead of more localized environmental conditions.
Females give birth during April and May, and possibly early June. Females in captivity
give birth only once every two years; those in the wild likely reproduce less often.
Not much about litter size is known, but females have not been observed with more
than one offspring at a time.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- viviparous
Females have been observed to carry a single offspring. The young cling to their mothers'
fur with their claws, while the mothers fan them with one wing to keep them cool.
Females invest significantly in their young through gestation and lactation.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
No information is currently available on longevity in Acerodon jubatus .
Behavior
Acerodon jubatus
individuals roost with other bat species, especially
Pteropus vampyrus
and occasionally
Pteropus hypomelanus
. They are typically outnumbered by these other species, making up less than 20% of
the total roost population. Mixed colonies of 100,000 to 150,000 individuals were
reported in the early 1900s to 1920s; recently, however, no colonies over 30,000 individuals
have been observed, and many are no larger than 5,000 individuals. Bats emerge from
the colony at sunset, fly into the mountains to feed on fruit, and return before sunrise.
Home Range
Home range sizes for golden-capped fruit bats are not known.
Communication and Perception
Acerodon jubatus individuals have large eyes and may use visual cues in communication. They have a distinctive odor, suggesting olfactory communication, but no specific scent glands have been identified.
Food Habits
Golden-capped fruit bats are frugivores. Figs (
Ficus
) appear to be a dietary staple, as fig seeds compose 41% of droppings on average.
Ficus subcordata
is the most commonly eaten species, though
Acerodon jubatus
also shows a strong preference for fruits from other
Ficus
species and, to a lesser extent,
Ficus variegata
. Not every fig species is used, and the dietary range is narrower than other bats
in the same area. Notably, these staple plants are only found in mature lowland forests,
making golden-capped fruit bats forest obligates. They also consume leaves by crushing
them and swallowing the liquid content, but how much of the diet is composed of leaves
is unknown.
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- fruit
Predation
There are no known predators of Acerodon jubatus .
Ecosystem Roles
Golden-capped fruit bats, as frugivores, are distributors of plant seeds. The impact
of such distribution on the local ecosystem has not been recorded.
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Some large bat roosts, shared by
Acerodon jubatus
and other species, are used as tourist attractions.
Golden-capped fruit bats are hunted for consumption. They are also occasionally captured
live for exportation, though this is uncommon because they are said to have an unpleasant
smell compared to other, similar bats. These practices have contributed to the species's
endangered status.
- Positive Impacts
- pet trade
- food
- ecotourism
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of Acerodon jubatus on humans.
Conservation Status
Golden-capped fruit bats are listed as endangered by the IUCN and appear in Appendix
I of CITES. Populations are experiencing severe declines due to habitat loss from
logging and farming projects and hunting for meat or trade. They are particularly
susceptible to habitat loss because of their dependence on fig trees found only in
mature old-growth forest. This species is protected, with three large roost sites
entirely exempt from hunting, but the bats are still hunted while foraging away from
the roosts. The population is estimated at about 10,000 individuals; this represents
a 50% decline over the last 30 years. The decline is predicted to continue unless
destruction of old-growth forest ceases. Populations now recognized as
A. jubatus
(
Acerodon lucifer
) are now extinct.
Other Comments
This species now includes Panay golden-crowned flying foxes,
Acerodon lucifer
, which was once considered a separate species. There appear to be no morphological
differences to distinguish the two taxa. It is not known whether they are behaviorally
identical, and this will probably never be determined because the Panay population
appears to be extinct.
Additional Links
Contributors
Virginia Heinen (author), Michigan State University, Barbara Lundrigan (editor, instructor), Michigan State University, Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- island endemic
-
animals that live only on an island or set of islands.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- swamp
-
a wetland area that may be permanently or intermittently covered in water, often dominated by woody vegetation.
- riparian
-
Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream).
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- colonial
-
used loosely to describe any group of organisms living together or in close proximity to each other - for example nesting shorebirds that live in large colonies. More specifically refers to a group of organisms in which members act as specialized subunits (a continuous, modular society) - as in clonal organisms.
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- pet trade
-
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
- food
-
A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.
- ecotourism
-
humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of natural areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- frugivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fruit
References
Heaney, L., P. Heideman. 1987. Philippine Fruit Bats: Endangered and Extinct. BATS Magazine , 5(1): 3-5. Accessed March 05, 2009 at http://www.batcon.org/index.php/education/article-and-information/bats-magazine.html?task=viewArticle&magArticleID=276 .
Heideman, P. 1987. The Reproductive Ecology of a Community of Philippine Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae, Megachiroptera) . Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International. Accessed March 09, 2009 at http://p2047-ezproxy.msu.edu.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/pqdweb?did=753014291&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=3552&RQT=309&VName=PQD .
Ingle, N., L. Heaney. 1992. A key to the bats of the Philippine Islands . Chicago, IL: Field Museum of Natural History. Accessed March 06, 2009 at http://www.archive.org/details/keytobatsofphili69ingl .
Mildenstein, T., A. Cariño, S. Paul, L. Heaney, P. Alviola, A. Duya, S. Stier, S. Pedregosa, R. Lorica, N. Ingle, D. Balete, J. Garcia, J. Gonzalez, P. Ong, G. Rosell-Ambal, B. Tabaranza. 2008. "IUCN 2008 Red List: Acerodon jubatus" (On-line). 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Accessed March 05, 2009 at http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/139 .
Mildenstein, T., S. Steir, C. Nuevo-Diego, L. Mills. 2005. Habitat selection of endangered and endemic large flying-foxes in Subic Bay, Philippines. Biological Conservation , 126(1): 93-102.
Mudar, K., M. Allen. 1986. A list of bats from northeastern Luzon, Philippines. Mammalia , 50(2): 219-225.
Nowak, R. 1991. Walker's Bats of the World . Baltimore & London: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Stier, S., T. Mildenstein. 2005. Dietary Habits of the World's Largest Bats: The Phillipine Flying Foxes, Acerodon Jubatus and Pteropus Vampyrus Lanensis. Journal of Mammology , 86(4): 719-729.
Taylor, E. 1934. Philippine Land Mammals . Manila, Philippine Islands: Monographs of the Bureau of Science.
Wilson, D., D. Reeder. 2005. Mammal Species of the World. A Taxanomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed) . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
2008. "Appendices I, II, and III" (On-line). Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Accessed March 05, 2009 at http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml .