E.N. JEEVAN, K.L. NAIK, H.A. SAYESWARA AND B.B. HOSETTI
Abstract
This paper deals with study of feeding activity of fruit eating bat (Pteropus giganteus) in Shivamogga area. The present investigation identified ten host plants for roosting and more than twenty different types of fruits preferred as food. They play an important role in the seed dispersal of fruit plants. They chew the fruit to obtain the juice. Very soft fruits such as bananas are swallowed, but usually the bat spit out the fruit pulp and seeds once it has extracted all the juice. In the evening bats become increasingly active and at one point they take off and find a feeding place, often very far away from their resting places. Bats travel 40-50 Km per day around the nesting area. They move to different places such as Thirthahalli, Agumbe, Sringeri, Kavishyla, Huncha, Heggargudda forest, Shettihalli forest near Mastikatte reservoir, tunga reservoir and Bhadra reservoir around Shivamogga. In the present study area bats mainly fed on 18 different varieties of fruits. These food plants are available around the nesting area. During day time they were roost in various host plants such as Bamboosa valgeri, Samanea samana, Ficus bengalensis, Ficus religiosa, Artocarpus integraifalia, Pongamia pinnata etc. The hitherto study revealed around 1000 animals in six rookeries and there is an urgent need to create awareness among common public to protect these useful animals to maintain ecological balance.