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This article analyzes the presence of chemical pollutants in the fecal pellets of Indian Flying Fox bats in Punjab, India. The study found higher levels of heavy metals at certain sites, while pesticide residues were negligible. The research provides important baseline data for understanding environmental health and highlights the role of bats as bio-indicators. Conservation measures are emphasized to protect bat populations. The study concludes that bat guano samples can serve as indicators of environmental contamination without harming the bats. [Extracted from the article]

The roost tree characteristics of Indian flying fox (Pteropus medius) were studied in the midland laterite hillocks of northern Kerala in peninsular India. A total of 170 trees belonging to 20 families, 32 genera, and 37 species were identified as roost trees from eleven roost sites located in Kannur and Kasargod districts of northern Kerala. Roost tree parameters such as habit, origin, diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, bole height, crown length, crown spread, and crown closure were analyzed. Families Anacardiaceae and Lamiaceae represented more number of roost trees in the study area. The mean bat abundance per tree for the entire study area was found to be 54.35±5.2 and it was highest for Ficus religiosa (peepal) followed by Tetrameles nudiflora (false hemp tree) and Leucaena leucocephala (subabul). Bats showed a preference for native trees and did not show any difference in the selection of evergreen and deciduous trees for roosting. The study also revealed that P. medius prefers large trees with greater height, diameter, crown length, and crown spread. As the midland laterite hillocks are under severe habitat degradation, the study recommends preserving large trees for better conservation of the remaining habitats of P. medius in the area.

Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) is a fruit bat species under the order Chiroptera and family Pteropodidae. The species is locally known as 'Pholkhowa Borbaduli' in Assamese means frugivorous big bat. Data on foraging and feeding behavior, the phenology of our fruit plants, and the complex role the Indian flying foxes play in the northeast Indian forest ecosystem are very scanty. Looking, at the dearth of information, the study was conducted at the subtropical mixed forest patches found at residential areas of Nathpara, Khalilpur part of Dhubri district of western Assam to enumerate the foraging and feeding behavior of Indian flying foxes on the ripe fruits of Anthocephalus cadamba (Kadam Plants), a potential food item of Pteropus giganteus in the study which is mainly observed during monsoon and retreating monsoon period of the wet season. The study will also reveal the role of the fruit bat species in forest regeneration through their pollination and seed dispersal activities ultimately maintaining a healthy forest ecosystem by enhancing the forest coverage of Northeast India, a 'Biodiversity Hotspot'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel lyssavirus was isolated from brains of Indian flying foxes (Pteropus medius) in Sri Lanka. Phylogenetic analysis of complete virus genome sequences, and geographic location and host species, provides strong evidence that this virus is a putative new lyssavirus species, designated as Gannoruwa bat lyssavirus.

The article discusses the case study of a sexually intact female Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) which showed a generally poor state of well-being and a decreased desire to forage for food. According to the author, the bat was euthanized by means of an IV barbiturate overdose and anesthetized with isoflurane because of poor quality of life.

Indian flying foxes ( Pteropus giganteus) are adapted to visual foraging in dim light. Nine Indian flying foxes were taken from a captive colony of 25 animals and placed in quarantine, off exhibit, in preparation for shipment to another institution. The exhibit had indirect, natural sunlight and was large enough to allow for flight. The quarantine enclosure was subject to >12 hr/day artificial lighting and did not allow for flight or gliding. Diet was identical between groups. After 13 mo, ophthalmic examination was performed on each animal including evaluation of the anterior chamber, rebound tonometry in upright and hanging positions, measurement of palpebral fissure length, and vertical and horizontal corneal diameters. Bilateral cataracts were observed in 55% (5/9) of the quarantined animals but in none of the animals that remained on exhibit (0/16). Bats housed in the quarantine enclosure had a risk of having cataracts 18 times greater than did bats in the exhibit enclosure (relative risk [RR]: 18.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-303.77). There was no association between cataract presence and age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.97-1.02; P = 0.7) or sex (OR: 1.24; 95% CI: 0.17-9.25), but lower body weight was associated with presence of cataracts (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99). Other ophthalmic parameters observed were similar to those previously reported for other captive Megachiroptera. This study suggests that chronic exposure to artificial lighting predisposes fruit bats to developing light-induced cataracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive water loss during the day due to heat stress in bats of the genus Pteropus appears to be inevitable, because these bats are exposed to direct sunlight. Rain also affects the rest pattern of the Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus during the day. When rain occurred during the day, most of the bats hung in a slanting position and did not exhibit any movements. After rain, they licked both ventral and dorsal surfaces of the wing membrane and scratched their body with their thumb claws. They also licked the water droplets that remained on the leaves and branches of the tree. Even though their rest had been affected by the rain the bats utilized the water droplets to quench their thirst, cool their body and clean their fur. The construction of water reservoirs near Pteropus roosts will help to assure their long-term conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spillovers of Nipah virus (NiV) from Pteropus bats to humans occurs frequently in Bangladesh, but the risk for spillover into other animals is poorly understood. We detected NiV antibodies in cattle, dogs, and cats from 6 sites where spillover human NiV infection cases occurred during 2013-2015.

Roost characteristics of Indian flying fox Pteropus giganteus at the Jinnah (n = 1052) and Lalazar (n = 40) gardens in Lahore were observed for a period of 1 year to find roost preferences in these bats. The Jinnah garden harbors 4119 trees belonging to 46 families, 103 genera, and 132 species, of which 44 trees belonging to 17 families, 19 genera, and 21 species served as bat roosts. The Lalazar garden harbors 90 trees representing 7 families, 9 genera, and 9 species. Six of these belonging to 2 families, 2 genera, and 2 species each served as bat roosts. Height of the roosting trees varied from 7.5 m (Dendrocalamus hamiltonii) to 19.8 m (Celtis australis) and diameter at breast height (dbh) ranged from 0.10 m (Putranjiva roxburghii) to 0.89 m (Kigelia pinnata). Maximum average bats (n = 88) were roosting in P. roxburghii with total height of 13.4 m and dbh of 0.1 m, whereas minimum bats (n = 8) were observed on Manilkara hexandra having height of 14.4 m and dbh of 0.24 m. It can be concluded from the present study that P. giganteus prefers to roost near water bodies on tall trees with relatively smaller diameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flying foxes Pteropus spp. play a key role in forest regeneration as seed dispersers and are also the reservoir of many viruses, including Nipah virus in Bangladesh. Little is known about their habitat requirements, particularly in South Asia. Identifying Pteropus habitat preferences could assist in understanding the risk of zoonotic disease transmission broadly and, in Bangladesh, could help explain the spatial distribution of human Nipah virus cases., We analysed characteristics of Pteropus giganteus roosts and constructed an ecological niche model to identify suitable habitat in Bangladesh. We also assessed the distribution of suitable habitat in relation to the location of human Nipah virus cases., Compared to non-roost trees, P. giganteus roost trees are taller with larger diameters and are more frequently canopy trees. Colony size was larger in densely forested regions and smaller in flood-affected areas. Roosts were located in areas with lower annual precipitation and higher human population density than non-roost sites., We predicted that 2-17% of Bangladesh's land area is suitable roosting habitat. Nipah virus outbreak villages were 2·6 times more likely to be located in areas predicted as highly suitable habitat for P. giganteus compared to non-outbreak villages., Synthesis and applications. Habitat suitability modelling may help identify previously undocumented Nipah outbreak locations and improve our understanding of Nipah virus ecology by highlighting regions where there is suitable bat habitat but no reported human Nipah virus. Conservation and public health education is a key component of P. giganteus management in Bangladesh due to the general misunderstanding and fear of bats that are a reservoir of Nipah virus. Affiliation between Old World fruit bats ( Pteropodidae) and people is common throughout their range, and in order to conserve these keystone bat species and prevent emergence of zoonotic viruses, it is imperative that we continue to improve our understanding of Pteropus resource requirements and routes of virus transmission from bats to people. Results presented here can be utilized to develop land management strategies and conservation policies that simultaneously protect fruit bats and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats of the genus Pteropus (P.) under the class Mammalia are important ecologically as pollinators, but little is known about their basic physiology. For this, serum biochemical values of healthy wild captured frugivorus bats (P. giganteus) were determined for providing baseline information and health care assessments in zoological setting. Ninety clinically healthy large frugivorous bats were captured from the wild and anesthetized for 2 hours following capture for blood collection from brachial vein. Serum glucose, total protein (TP), triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), urea, uric acid, calcium and phosphorus were determined using biochemical analyzer. No major differences were observed in the serum biochemical values between male and female bats, juvenile and adults or fair and good health-state bats except significant variation in the AST (p < 0.05), ALP (p < 0.05) and CPK (p < 0.05) between adult and juvenile bats, calcium (p< 0.01) and phosphorus (p < 0.01) between the good and fair health-state bats. The values from this study can be used to create reference intervals of serum biochemistry of bat found in Indian subcontinent, and they can make up the first comprehensive biochemical study for this highly endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the diet of the Indian flying fox in Pakistant from March 2008 to February 2009. Findings showed that bats fed on 20 species belonging to 11 families of plants. Four families were identified from remnants of flower petals in food boluses while others were identified from the seeds in the boluses. The most frequently identified items were Ficus glomerata and Ficus religiosa during spring and Psidium guajava and Diospyros peregrina during summer. The ecological services rendered by Pteropus giganteus include pollination and seed dispersal.

The article offers information regarding the conservation of Indian flying fox in Hamirsir Lake, Bhuj city, Gujarat, India. It informs that Indian flying fox is the only large-sized fruit bat species found in Kachchh District of Gujarat. This species is mostly found in forests and fringes of water bodies habited by humans. It also mentions that increasing number of visitors, laser light shows during ceremonial function and traffic vehicle pollution are posing as threat to these flying fox.

A novel lyssavirus was isolated from brains of Indian flying foxes (Pteropus medius) in Sri Lanka. Phylogenetic analysis of complete virus genome sequences, and geographic location and host species, provides strong evidence that this virus is a putative new lyssavirus species, designated as Gannoruwa bat lyssavirus.