Foraging and feeding behavior of Indian flying fox at Dhubri district of western Assam, India

Abstract

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’.