Geographic Range
Cynopterus brachyotis
is distributed in Sri Lanka, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, southern Burma, Thailand,
southern China, Indochina, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Kangean Islands, Borneo,
Bali, Sulawesi, and the Philippines.
- Biogeographic Regions
- oriental
- oceanic islands
Habitat
Cynopterus brachyotis
is phytophilic (plant-loving). It can be found in tropical rainforests sleeping under
modified palm leaves, as well as orchid leaves.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- Terrestrial Biomes
- rainforest
Physical Description
Cynopterus brachyotis has a fox-like face, large dark eyes, short brown hair, and dark, spotted wings.
The length of the head and body in this genus is 70 to 127 mm. The tail adds an additional
6 to 15 mm to the overall length. The forearms of these bats are from 55 to 92 mm
long, giving them a wingspan ranging from 305 to 457 mm. Adults weigh about 30 to
100 grams.
Cynopterus brachyotis
is distinguishable from
C. sphynx
in that the ears of
C. brachyotis
are, on average, smaller than those of
C. sphynx
.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
Development
Gestation time unknown.
Reproduction
The mating system of these animals has not been described. However, based on the association of one male with multiple females, it is most likely polygynous.
- Mating System
- polygynous
In the Malay Peninsula, breeding is apparently aseasonal, and
C. brachyotis
may be found pregnant throughout the year. In Thailand breeding is also aseasonal;
pregnancies peak from March to June, as well as in January and September. Gestation
is thought to last about 120 days, after which the female gives birth to a single
young.
Although data are not available for this species,
C. sphinx
is reported to weigh 11 grams at birth. Neonates are carried by the mother, and
are weaned at 40 to 45 days of age. Female
C. sphinx
reach sexual maturity at 5 to 6 months of age, with males maturing much later, at
15 to 20 months of age. It is likely that
C. brachyotis
is similar in these parameters.
Reproduction in
C. brachyotis
is timed so that lactation corresponds with the peak of the rainy season--which is
the fruiting season.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- year-round breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- viviparous
- delayed implantation
Young can cling to the mother from birth, but must be carried for over a month. Both
the male and female care for the young. Males have mammary glands that are equal in
size to the females’ (greater than 8% of total body mass), so males are thought to
play an active role in lactation and feeding young.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- male
- female
-
protecting
- male
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
Cynopterus brachyotis
lives about 20 to 30 years.
Behavior
Individual
C. brachyotis
roost alone (young males) or in groups (usually one male and about four females,
although there are sometimes up to twenty females in these groups).
These bats are known to construct shelters. They sometimes bite off the center part
of palm fruit clusters, thereby leaving a hollow in which to hang. Males spend up
to two months chewing the veins of leaves and palm fronds until they fall and are
ready to be formed into a shelter.
Home Range
The home range size for these animals has not been reported.
Communication and Perception
Cynopterus brachyotis
communicates using tactile, visual, and acoustic stimuli. They use their acute sense
of smell to find food and rely on their keen vision to navigate.
Food Habits
Cynopterus brachyotis
is frugivorous. These bats feed on fruit, mostly mangoes, but also any fruit that
is aromatic and available. They are thought to consume mainly the juices of the fruits
and to expel the pulp.
- Plant Foods
- fruit
Predation
Ability to fly has kept
C. brachyotis
relatively free from terrestrial carnivores. However, in some cultures, humans consider
them a delicacy.
Ecosystem Roles
Many fruits (bananas, avocadoes, dates, mangoes, peaches, tequila) rely on
C. brachyotis
for seed dispersal. These bats may also play a role in plant pollination.
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
- pollinates
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Outside of the limited use of these bats as food, there is no direct economic benefit
of this species for humans. However, because they are so important in dispersing
seeds and pollinating plants, humans who rely on the plants these bats affect are
indebted to the bats as well.
- Positive Impacts
- food
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Because of their frugivorous inclination, these bats can cause some crop damage.
- Negative Impacts
- crop pest
Conservation Status
Cynopterus brachyotis is not especially threatened.
Additional Links
Contributors
Allison Poor (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Kari Severson (author), Humboldt State University, Brian Arbogast (editor), Humboldt State University.
- 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.
- oceanic islands
-
islands that are not part of continental shelf areas, they are not, and have never been, connected to a continental land mass, most typically these are volcanic islands.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- rainforest
-
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
- 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.
- polygynous
-
having more than one female as a mate at one time
- 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).
- year-round breeding
-
breeding takes place throughout the year
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- delayed implantation
-
in mammals, a condition in which a fertilized egg reaches the uterus but delays its implantation in the uterine lining, sometimes for several months.
- 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
- solitary
-
lives alone
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound 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
- food
-
A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- frugivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fruit
References
Andersen, K. 1912. Catalogue of the Chiroptera in the Collection of the British Museum: second edition . New York: Johnson Reprint Corporation.
Crichton, E., P. Krutzsch. 2000. Reproductive Biology of Bats . San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Nowak, R. 1997. "Cynopterus" (On-line). Walker's Mammals of the World Online. Accessed November 16, 2001 at http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/walker_gone.html .
Richarz, K., A. Limbrunner. 1993. The World of Bats . Neptune City, NJ: TFH Publications, Inc..
Schultes, D. 2003. "The Malaysian Fruit Bat" (On-line). Animals at the Fort Worth Zoo. Accessed December 15, 2001 at http://www.whozoo.org/students/dansch/fruitbat.htm .