Thanx Neil and Gurcharanji. Shobha On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 8:53 PM, Neil Soares <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi Shobha, > > If I may answer your question – > > > > All Fruit bats [Family Pteropodidae] are medium to large-sized bats > with fur on their bodies, long snouts with simple noses and ears & no / > small tails. > > As fruit-eaters they are responsible for the destruction of fruit as > well as for seed dispersal [because of their habit of carrying away fruit to > their distant roosts]. > > While drinking nectar they also help in pollination of flowers. > Generally flowers pollinated by bats are white in colour, have a strong > odour, open after dusk, with an inflorescence usually in the open at the top > of the tree – a typical example being Oroxylum indicum [locally called Tetu > / Ullu]. > > > > Of the 5 species of Large and 8 species of Medium-sized Fruit bats > found in India, have encountered only one of each on my property. They > are: > > 1. The Indian Flying Fox / Indian Fruit Bat [Pteropus giganteus] – a > colony roosting on one of my Mohua [Madhuca indica] trees. > 2. The Short-nosed Fruit Bat [Cynopterus sphinx] roosting on one of my > Jarul [Lagerstroemia flos-regina] trees. > > > > Also have a cave with Dusky Leaf-nosed Bats, but that’s another story. > > > > Sending you a few photographs. > > > > With regards, > > Neil Soares. > > --- On *Fri, 4/16/10, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]>* wrote: > > > From: Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:32420] Re: Kigelia africana from Delhi > To: "shobha chavda" <[email protected]> > Cc: "efloraofindia" <[email protected]> > Date: Friday, April 16, 2010, 7:16 PM > > > * > > Shobha ji > * > > Fruit bats also known as megabats are not necessarily larger or smaller > than other bats called microbats, although most are larger. They can be as > small as 6 cm (smaller than microbats) to as long as 40 cm (wing span up to > 150 cm). They are also known as flying foxes and differ in two characters > from microbats. Firstly they have very large eyes which allows them to > navigate in caves and and forests twilight, and unlike microbats they don't > have echolocation capability. These fruit bats eat both nectar and fruits > and bring about pollination. > > Here is some more information: > > Pollination studies suggest that the most important pollination vectors are > bats. However, unlike most bat-pollinated flowers which are > characteristically white or cream, the flowers of Kigelia africana are > reddish to purplish; the strong unpleasant odour is likely to be the primary > attractant. Fruits may remain on the tree for up to 6 months. > > The flowers, which, after some, have a rather unpleasant smell, open in > sequence and remain open for one night only and are usually pollinated by > bats; when one flower is pollinated, the other buds belonging to the same > inflorescence usually abort, and this to avoid the presence of many fruits > on the same peduncle, which could not bear their weight. > > Their sweet nectar is drunk by bats, baboons, monkeys, sunbirds, herd boys > tending lifestock, and other creatures. > > The wrinkles in flowers are used as a grip by the bats to prevent them from > slipping from the flowers while they are drinking. > > > -- > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > * > > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ <http://people.du.ac.in/%7Esinghg45/> > * > * > * > On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 4:37 PM, shobha chavda > <[email protected]<http://us.mc339.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > wrote: > >> Dear Satishji, >> I had read somewhere that the flowers are pollinated by " Fruit >> Bats".Are these bats different than the regular bats? are they smaller >> in size ? >> Shobha >> >> On Apr 15, 5:51 pm, Satish Phadke >> <[email protected]<http://us.mc339.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>> >> wrote: >> > Excellent clean pictures Gurcharan ji >> > *Didynamous* nature of stamens can be made out typical of Family >> > Bignoniaceae >> > The flowers are pollinated by bats I suppose so they bloom during night. >> If >> > one has to take the pictures need to take them at night or very early >> > morning. >> > Dr Phadke >> > >> > On 15 April 2010 09:47, Gurcharan Singh >> > <[email protected]<http://us.mc339.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>> >> wrote: >> > >> > > Some recently clicked photographs of Sausage Tree Kigelia africana >> > >> > > -- >> > > Dr. Gurcharan Singh >> > > Retired Associate Professor >> > > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 >> > > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. >> > > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 >> > >http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/<http://people.du.ac.in/%7Esinghg45/> >> <http://people.du.ac.in/%7Esinghg45/> >> > >> > > -- >> > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups >> > > "efloraofindia" group. >> > > To post to this group, send email to >> > > [email protected]<http://us.mc339.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> >> . >> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > > [email protected]<http://us.mc339.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=indiantreepix%[email protected]> >> <indiantreepix%[email protected]<http://us.mc339.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=indiantreepix%[email protected]> >> > >> > > . >> > > For more options, visit this group at >> > >http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix?hl=en. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "efloraofindia" group. >> To post to this group, send email to >> [email protected]<http://us.mc339.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> >> . >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]<http://us.mc339.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=indiantreepix%[email protected]> >> . >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix?hl=en. >> >> > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<indiantreepix%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix?hl=en. > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. 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