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Latidens salimalii (Endemic, Endanger Fruit Bat) A Reliable Propagator of Endemic Trees of Southern Western Ghats



Author(s)

Juliet Vanitharani

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DOI:10.17265/1934-7391/2015.09.004

Salim Ali's fruit bat (Latidens salimalii) is Endemic to Southern Western Ghats, India and is classified as Endangered by IUCN. Latidens is morphologically adapted to play a major role in the propagation of economically important trees; some of them are endemic to southern Western Ghats. This paper describes and documents, the bat’s ecology, foraging behavior and food selection. The study is based on the dietary details of the discovered populations of L. salimalii in the Agasthiyar hill range and the High Wavy Mountains of southern Western Ghats, India. Seeds, partially eaten fruits and seedlings germinated on the floor of the feeding roosts confirm this bat forage for fruits among relatively tall trees of evergreen forests in an elevation above 900 meter. Mist netting below and above canopy near the fruiting and flowering trees of their foraging area confirmed their interaction with certain endemic tree species. Their species specific dietary preferences immensely help to restore and bring back the natural forest community structures.

Endemic, foraging, feeding roosts, propagation, restoration