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Researchers: DeeAnn M. Reeder, Eric P. Widmaier, and Thomas H. Kunz. Department of Biology, Boston University.
DeeAnn Reeder, a post-doctoral fellow at Boston University, is studying the reproductive biology and behavior of two species of seasonally breeding frugivorous megabats, the little golden-mantled flying fox (Pteropus pumilus) and the Malayan flying fox (P. vampyrus), housed at the Lubee Bat Conservancy. The little golden-mantled flying fox is a relatively small (200 g with a wingspan of ~ .3 meters) megabat, that is unusual among Pteropus species in that it is relatively asocial, being found alone or in small aggregations. In contrast, the Malayan flying fox is among the largest of the Chiroptera (weighing 1.2 kg with a wingspan of ~2 meters), is highly gregarious and can be found in groups of up to several thousand individuals. Although successful reproduction in any species is physiologically complex and energy demanding, reproduction in bats is even more difficult as they must meet the energy demands of a relatively long period of pregnancy and lactation while also dealing with the high energetic demands of flight. In some species, such as the Malayan flying fox, the situation is further complicated by the influence of social processes, which can play a large role in regulating reproduction.
In this study, Dr. Reeder is comparing the social behaviors of the relatively solitary little-golden mantled flying fox with those of the highly social Malayan flying fox. In addition to exploring behavioral differences, she is collecting a number of blood samples from breeding and non-breeding animals of both species in order to examine the role of various hormones in bat reproduction. By studying the influence of social processes such as group formation in these species with different modes of social interaction, she hopes to gain insight not only into the nature of social influences on reproductive processes, but also into when, where, and to what degree we expect these influences to occur. Dr. Reeder's work is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
For further information you can visit Dr reeder’s website: http://people.bu.edu/dreeder
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