1Research Department of Zoology, St. John's College, Palayamkottai-627 002, Tamilnadu, India.
2Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
3Department of Endocrinology, Dr. ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani, chennai-600 113, India.
Foraging behaviour of three species of megachiropteran bats in relation to flowering seasonality of Madhuca indica, was investigated during March to May 2005. A total of 1,904 individual bats, including Pteropus giganteus (49.0%), Cynopterus sphinx (28.5%) and Rousettus leschenaulti (22.5%) were observed during flowering season. R. leschenaulti and C. sphinx exhibited two peaks of foraging activity, immediately following nightly emergence (18.30–20.00h) and before individuals returned to their day-roosts (4.00–6.00h). P. giganteus exhibited a unimodal foraging pattern that peaked between 19.00 and 21.00h. Both R. leschenaulti and C. sphinx consumed the corolla of M. indica, while P. giganteus consumed entire flower causing marginal damage to other flowers in the tree. R. leschenaulti and C. sphinx inadvertently collected pollen on their head and wings, whereas P. giganteus had pollen load on its entire body. The three megachiropteran bat species, pollinating the flowers of M. indica, was thus found to be providing an important ecosystem service.
Bats, Foraging, Pollination
