Straw-coloured fruit bat

Palm fruit bat ( Eidolon helvum )

The palm fruit bat ( Eidolon helvum ) is a mammal of the family of fruit bats ( Pteropodidae ). He is one of the most widespread and best-known fruit bats of the African continent.

The distribution area of the palm flying fox ranges from Senegal and Ethiopia to South Africa, also in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula it is found.

The fur of these animals is straw colored at the top and brownish in color at the bottom. At the throat and sides of the neck, the males have a reddish -colored, glandular spot. The animals reach a body length 14-21 centimeters, as with most bats the tail is short ( 0.4 to 2 inches ), the span is up to 76 inches and they can weigh 230-350 grams.

Palm fruit bats keep preferably in forest areas, where fruits, their main food, are available. But they are also found in savannas and dry areas and in the mountains up to 2000 meters above sea level. During the day they sleep in large groups (often several thousand animals) usually on trees, sometimes in caves and man-made hiding places. At night they fly out in search of food, where they can travel in one night distances of 30 kilometers. Palm fruit bats show a pronounced migratory behavior, depending on rain and dry seasons they often look to other regions, while they close to large groups of up to a million individuals together. Over the year, it can travel 2500 km so.

Food

Palm fruit bats feed mainly on fruits, including the Borassuspalmen ( Borassus ), date palms, mangos, Ceiba and other trees; but also flowers and nectar as the baobabs. However, you do not eat whole fruits, but mainly suck the juice out. Through their dietary habits play an important role in the pollination of some plants.

Reproduction

Mating occurs from April to June, as with many Fledertieren there will be a delayed implantation, so between mating and birth indeed pass away nine months of the embryo itself but grows only four months in the uterus. Most births take place in February and March and are designed in time that they fall into the rainy season, where the largest food supply is available. Among the births to females close together in nurseries, the fathers do not participate in the rearing. Usually a young animal is born, rarely two. The life expectancy of these animals is around 15 years, individual animals are over 20 years old.

Palm fruit bats and humans

Since Palm dogs live together in large groups and often occur in orchards or gardens, they are considered a pest in some places and are hunted accordingly. The palm fruit bat is extensively hunted in order to then sell it as bushmeat. Thus, the stocks have declined markedly over the last three generations, the decimation is smaller than 30%. The IUCN lists the Palm Flughund therefore in the early warning ( near threatened ).