The Madagascan fruit bat (''Eidolon dupreanum'') is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

and is listed as "Vulnerable" by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

because it is hunted as bushmeat.

Distribution and habitat

''Eidolon dupreanum'' is named after the Governor of

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

from 1864 to 1869,

Marie Jules Dupré Marie-Jules Dupré (25 November 1813 – 8 February 1881) was a French admiral. He was governor of Réunion from 1865 to 1869 under the Second French Empire, and governor of Cochinchina from 1871 to 1874 under the French Third Republic. He negotia ...

, for the help he gave to scientific researchers. The Madagascan fruit bat is found both around the coastal plain and in the inland high plateau. It has not been recorded in some areas but that is likely to be because it has not been observed rather than that it is absent from these areas. It requires suitable rock fissures and caves in which to roost during the day. Colony size varies between about ten and five hundred individuals.

Biology

Examination of the droppings from the Madagascan fruit bat show that it mainly consumes fruit but also feeds on the flowers of ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...

'' spp. It was found to fly as far as to reach trees of ''

Polyscias ''Polyscias'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. They bear pinnately compound leaves. In 2003, a checklist and nomenclator was published for Araliaceae.David G. Frodin and Rafaël Govaerts. 2003. ''World Checklist and Bibli ...

'' spp. while largely neglecting the guava trees ''

Psidium ''Psidium'' is a genus of trees and shrubs in the family Myrtaceae. It is native to warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere (Mexico, Central and South America, the West Indies the Galápagos islands). Taxonomy This genus was described first by ...

'' near its roost. Seeds smaller than about in diameter were swallowed. This helped with dispersal of the seed and it has been shown that seed germination was enhanced by their passage through the gut. At times of year when fruit is not available, this bat feeds on nectar. It has been observed to visit the flowers of the rare baobab '' Adansonia suarezensis'' and the kapok tree ''

Ceiba pentandra ''Ceiba pentandra'' is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously emplaced in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety ''C. pentandr ...

'' and it is believed to

pollinate Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...

these trees. A single offspring is produced each year. This slow reproductive rate makes this bat susceptible to over-hunting.

Status

In its

Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

, the

has classified this bat as " Vulnerable". Its numbers appear to be declining and the greatest threat it faces is being hunted for

bushmeat Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption, most often referring to the meat of game in Africa. Bushmeat represents a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity for inhabitants of humid tropi ...

. Under Madagascar law, hunting this species is only permitted between the months of May and August. This legislation is widely disregarded and the bat is hunted at any time of year. Some colonies have been completely wiped out, but in some instances, these sites have been recolonised a few years later. The bat is present in a number of protected areas where it should receive protection. It is an adaptable species in that, if its main food sources are lost, it is able to change to other sources although it seems to prefer the fruit of native trees to those of introduced species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q31255 Mammals of Madagascar Eidolon (genus) Mammals described in 1866 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot