Foraging Ecology and Behaviour of Bats

The foraging habits of chiropteran fauna were studied in easternUttar Pradesh. Visual observations were made during foraging hours on three species of pteropodid bats i.e. Pteropus giganteus, Cynopterus sphinx and Rousettus leschenaulti and 10 species of insectivorous bats under natural conditions. Fecal analyses were conducted to identify the food habits of insectivores bats. Cynopterus sphinx and P. giganteus visited Ceiba pentandra trees throughout the night, whereas R. leschenaulti visited on the trees Musa paradisiaca and Carica papaya only during early evening. Pteropus giganteus fed on seasonal fruits while C. sphinx fed leaves of C. fistula throughout the year. The insectivorous bats emerged soon after the sunset for foraging ground. Unlike frugivorous bats, the insectivorous bats foraged solitarily. It was observed that the insectivores bats fed upon insect orders such as Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera throughout the year.