Thanks Neil ji, for detailed information
-- 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/ On Sat, Apr 17, 2010 at 5:14 PM, shobha chavda <[email protected]> wrote: > 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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