Content:
- Egyptian Fruit Bat Habitat and Lifestyle
- Egyptian Fruit Bat Diet/Feeding
- Distribution: Where Can You Find Egyptian Fruit Bats Mostly?
- Egyptian Fruit Bat Reproduction Habits
- Ecological Niche for the Egyptian Fruit Bat
- Egyptian Fruit Bat Facts
- Conclusion
One of the dominant features of the Egyptian Fruit Bat is its size. Unlike other bats, the bat is relatively smaller and about six inches long.
But their wingspan is large and has a length of about two feet. Besides, their weight compared to the other bats is less than half a pound. It is easy to tell the males from the females by their prominent scrotal sac, and they have a larger physique.
Additionally, their wings are darker compared to the light brown color of the general body. Another outstanding description of the Egyptian Fruit Bat is their long and pointed ears.
Also, their eyes are large and dark. They have soft fur, and you can easily confuse the Egyptian Fruit Bat snout with that of a canine.
This bat type is also known as the flying fox based on its appearance in other locations. Moreover, when not feeding, their unique and long tongue coils around the rib cage.
Egyptian Fruit Bat Habitat and Lifestyle
Egyptian Fruit Bats are known to live in families. The family consists of around 20 to 40 individuals to vast colonies of about 9,000 bats.
You’re more likely to find these colonies roosting during the day in dark, humid spaces. For instance, you will find these colonies in caves and ruins, although smaller colonies can roost in trees.
The male bats will form small bachelor groups during the reproduction period, while the females will form separate maternity colonies.
To ensure there is less temperature fluctuation, you will find these bats closely together when roosting. Besides, this close contact is essential as it encourages constant communication among the bats throughout the day.
Since the Egyptian Fruit Bat is a nocturnal animal, they are more active late in the evening and night since there is increased grooming.
During this time, you will find the bats leaving their caves every evening to go and forage, and they will go back to roosting just before sunrise.
Egyptian Fruit Bat Diet/Feeding
These bats are among the bats that navigate using echolocation looking for food. High-pitched squeals and clicks are the sounds they use to echolocate by allowing waves and echoes to come back to their location.
They use the vibrations to find their food sources accurately. Study shows that among the bat species, the Egyptian Fruit Bat is the most vocal one.
Besides nectar, these bats consume a variety of other types of fruits. One of the greatest disadvantages of these animals is that they can cause massive destruction to the fruit crops in your garden.
Farmers are using strong and poisonous pesticides to prevent their fruit crops from destruction. However, these pesticides are killing large numbers of Egyptian Fruit Bats.
Distribution: Where Can You Find Egyptian Fruit Bats Mostly?
Besides India and Pakistan, the bats find their home in some regions of Africa. Due to their massive numbers, it’s not easy to tell or determine the exact figure of the bats in the wild.
However, there is no need for an alarm to have a conservancy for the bats during this time. The Egyptian Fruit Bats can survive anywhere in between the mountains and lowlands.
Provided there is a secure place for shelter and enough hunting sources, they will comfortably thrive. Their unique features make it possible for them to adapt and thrive in conditions that may seem harsh and difficult to other bat species.
Egyptian Fruit Bat Reproduction Habits
The Egyptian Fruit Bats reach the maturity age for mating at 9 months old. The gestation period for these bats is around 115 days, and they give birth to a single offspring. Although among the Egyptian Fruit Bat species, there have been several cases of twin births.
The young ones to the bats are usually in good hands since their mothers are excellent caregivers. The mothers have no problem with carrying their offspring attached to them during the first six weeks of their lives.
But when the baby bats get old enough, the mother will leave it behind to roost as it goes to forage. The bats female produces enough milk for the young ones to feed on.
When these bats are around three months old, their wings will have fully developed and strong enough for them to fly. During this time, they can fly out at night to find their food sources.
But it’s unlikely for the offspring to move to other colonies. So the possibility of finding the young Egyptian Bat in the same settlement from birth until death is very high.
The offsprings to these bat types can form solid connections within those families. The fact that they sleep touching the sides of the young ones during roosting helps these offsprings form strong bonds with the rest of the colony at an early stage.
Ecological Niche for the Egyptian Fruit Bat
In Paleotropical forests, you will find that the Egyptian Fruit Bats pollinate most trees during the night.
Moreover, like the frugivores, these bats help pollinate fruit tree flowers and act as the leading agent for seed dispersal of most tree species.
Egyptian Fruit Bat Facts
- Egyptian Fruit Bats have a unique way of sleeping, with their heads facing down and folding their wings across their body.
- Like the other fruit bats, the bats resemble a fox, and most usually refer to it as a “flying fox.”
- Due to their aggressive nature when feeding, you are more likely to find them holding their food closer to their body to secure it from the other bats. These bats are notorious for stealing each other’s fruit.
- Another fun fact about the Egyptian Fruit Bats is people from some parts of the world see them as symbols of good fortune.
- Egyptian Fruit Bat exclusively disperses the baobab seeds.
- Most people refer to these bats as “dog bats” as they believe their faces look alike.
- Did you know that bats pollinate around 70% of the fruit in the world? Of course, thanks to the these bat types.
Conclusion
Humans enjoy eating fruits, but at the same time, they dislike the presence of the Egyptian Fruit Bats around.
But for them to enjoy eating these fruits, they need to realize the role of this bat type in multiplying the fruits. It would be best if they learn their habits, diet where they like to stay for peaceful co-existence.
What other facts do you know about the Egyptian Fruit Bat? Feel free to share with us in the comment section and share the article with your friends.
