Food preferences (three fruit types) of sri Lankan short-nosed fruit trat Cynopterus sphinx (Chiroptera) in a semi-natural condition

Abstract

In this study the food preference of sri Lankan shoft nosed fruit bat cynopterus sphinr rvas tested in a seminatural condition as a first step of a long term study of diet and foraging of sri Lankan fruit bats. Investigations were carried out in an experimental room (4x5x3.5m) using ten male bats (4 adults and 6 sub adults). A single animal was used in each trial" Ten such trials were caried out, each progressing over three consecutive clays. To test the feeding preference, known and comparable weights of three fruit types [mango (Mangifera indicct L: Acardiaceae, amba in Sinhala), guava (Psidium gujava L: Myrtaceae, pera in Sinhala ) and Indian almond (Tenninalia catappal; combretaceae, Kottamba in Sinhala )l were simultaneously used, where fruits and water were provided ad Iibitum" Fruits were replaced every 24 hours. All the bats always comsumed the three types of fruits provided. The highest preference (as indicated by the amounr consumed and the number of fruits attacked ) was shown for guava followeci by almond and mangoes. Results also showed that cynopterzrs has a fairly high fruit- consumption per day (12-489). These observarions indicate that cynopterus is a generalised feeder and may be functioning as a fruit pest.