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Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island. Its fauna and flora is a unique evolutionary mix, with influences from both Africa and Asia. Levels of endemism are high, with over 90% of plants and animals found here occurring nowhere else on earth, a fact that has lead to Madagascar being called 'the 8th continent'.
The results of this Afro-Asian mix can be found in Madagascar's three endemic fruit bats. Pteropus rufus, the largest of the three, has its lineage in the Asian genus Pteropus, whilst Eidolon dupreanum is one of only two extant Eidolon species, which are thought to have originated in Africa. The diminutive cave-roosting Rousettus madagascariensis is from a genera of bats that are truly pan-tropical in their Old World distribution, with Rousettus species found as far west as Senegal and as far east as the Solomon Islands.
So far, Pteropus rufus is probably the best studied of Madagascar's fruit bat because of being the focus of PhD research studies part-funded by Lubee Bat Conservancy (Long 2002, MacKinnon et al. 2003). It has an island -wide distribution, roosting mainly near the coasts, but it is conspicuous by its absence on the haut plateau at the heart of the island (Long 2002, MacKinnon et al. 2003). As recently as 60 years ago Pteropus rufus was a widely abundant species, reportedly roosting in groups of several hundred to a million individuals (Dorst 1947). Unfortunately with loss of habitat due to the rapid rate of deforestation and increasing pressure from hunting this bat is no longer as numerous as it once was. The most recent total population estimate is 300,000 bats. Currently, the largest recorded Pteropus roost is at Manambolomaty Lakes Bemeraha and contains between 5,000-8,000 bats (J. MacKinnon, pers. comm.). In the south the largest roost is found at the Private Reserve of Berenty. Here the bats roost at the center of a tamarind forest and the colony varies in size from around 600 bats during the cyclone season (Dec-Mar) to over 1,800 bats at the height of the dry season (Aug-Oct).
Radio-tracking foraging studies and seed germination studies conducted by Emma Long, under the supervision of Prof Paul Racey of Aberdeen University, at this roost site have shown that compared with conspecifics elsewhere in Madagascar the diet of P. rufus at Berenty is narrow, containing only 17 plant species. Seven gallery forest and four cultivated species are consistently utilised by the bats, but no endemic spiny forest species were identified in their diet. Pollen of Agave sisalana was present in 84% of bat faecal samples. In seed germination trails, she discovered that P. rufus swallows more viable than non-viable Ficus seeds. In 92 % and 58 % of germination trials, bat-passed seeds had the
Pteropus rufus at Berenty were noted to be particularly vocal in the early morning, with noisy disputes between neighbours over preferred basking spots where they can catch the early morning sun. Although the roost site at Berenty is protected, the bats are still at risk from hunting in this area. Hunting for subsistence food is considered a major threat to these bats. They are caught when feeding in the sisal plantations, which surround the reserve by immigrant sisal workers and can be purchased in the local markets for about 500 Ariary (US $0.35). Typically each
The second threat facing Madagascar's fruit bats is the loss of suitable habitat. It is estimated that 90% of Madagascar's original vegetation has been lost (Lowry et al. 1997). Forest lost is mainly due to slash-and-burn agriculture, which results in thousands of hectars of forest loss per year (Lowry et al. 1997). Much of the remaining forest is heavily fragmented (Du Puy & Moat 1996). In many deforested areas the degraded landscape is now dominated by savanna-type grassland (Koechlin 1993). In central and western Madagascar these prairies are burnt annually for cattle grazing (Lowry et al. 1997). This barren habitat cannot support fruit bats, which require tall trees for roosting and forested areas for feeding in. Consequently, loss of suitable habitat is cited as the main cause of roost desertion and localized extinctions, after disturbance due to hunting, for Pteropus rufus (J. MacKinnon pers. com.).
However, it is not all bad news for Pteropus rufus. In some areas local traditions and beliefs help to protect the bats. In the south of Madagascar, in the spiny forest, it is 'fady' or taboo for the Antandroy and Mahafaly tribes to eat 'fanihy' (fruit bats) and so roosts in these areas are less troubled by problems from hunting. In other areas fruit bat roosts are protected because they occur in forests that are spiritually important for local villagers, containing either burial sites or sacred trees. One such roost was found at the village of Mandena, near to the southeastern town of Fort Dauphin. The roost is located in a forest, adjacent to the village, which is reportedly guarded by 'evil spirits'. Local tradition forbids anyone from entering and it's easy to imagine, with their noisy vocalizations and their reflective orange eye-shine at night, why a forest containing fruit bats may be considered to be haunted. So, although the bats are not directly protected, the local management of sacred areas can prove to be of benefit to the bats and other wildlife that they may contain. Current changes in conservation practice in Madagascar to increase protected areas and promote community protection of forest reserves (WWF 2003) is encouraging as this may help to protect more roost sites and prevent Pteropus rufus going the way of the Dodo.
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