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How Does Africa's Most Hunted Bat Vary Across the Continent? Population Traits of the Straw-Coloured Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum) and Its Interactions with Humans

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Peel, AJ 
Wood, JLN 
Baker, KS 
Breed, AC 
Carvalho, AD 

Abstract

The straw-coloured fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, is a common and conspicuous migratory species, with an extensive distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, yet hunting and habitat loss are thought to be resulting in decline in some areas. Eidolon helvum is also a known reservoir for potentially zoonotic viruses. Despite E. helvum’s importance, ecological and behavioural traits are poorly described for this species. Here we present extensive data on the distribution, migration patterns, roost size, age and sex composition of 29 E. helvum roosts from nine countries across tropical Africa, including roosts not previously described in the literature. Roost age and sex composition were dependent on timing of sampling relative to the annual birth pulse. Rather than a single ‘breeding season’ as is frequently reported for this species, regional asynchrony of reproductive timing was observed across study sites (with birth pulses variably starting in March, April, September, November or December). Considered together with its genetic panmixia, we conclude that the species has a fluid, fission-fusion social structure, resulting in different roost ‘types’ at different times of the year relative to seasonal reproduction. Bat-human interactions also varied across the species’ geographical range. In the absence of significant hunting, large urban colonies were generally tolerated, yet in regions with high hunting pressure, bats tended to roost in remote or protected sites. The extensive quantitative and qualitative data presented in this manuscript are also valuable for a wide range of studies and provide an historical snapshot as its populations become increasingly threatened.

Description

Keywords

age composition, demography, fission-fusion, hunting, straw-coloured fruit bat

Journal Title

Acta Chiropterologica

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1508-1109
1733-5329

Volume Title

19

Publisher

BioOne
Sponsorship
European Commission (278976)
Cambridge Infectious Diseases Consortium (grant VT0105) (AJP, DTSH, KSB), The Charles Slater Trust (AJP), Zebra Foundation for Veterinary Zoological Education (AJP), Isaac Newton Trust (AJP), Wellcome Trust (DTSH, KSB), David H. Smith (postdoctoral fellowship (DTSH)), RAPIDD program of the Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health (DTSH, JLNW), The Alborada Trust (JLNW), European Union FP7 (project ANTIGONE (Anticipating Global Onset of Novel Epidemics 278976) (ACB, JLNW, AAC)), Royal Society (Wolfson Research Merit Award (AAC))