Responses of fruit bats to physical factors of selected forest patches in Mt. Kitanglad Range, Bukidnon, Philippines
Paper Details
Responses of fruit bats to physical factors of selected forest patches in Mt. Kitanglad Range, Bukidnon, Philippines
Abstract
Fruit bat species playing a vital role in forest regeneration are affected by the physical factors in the remaining tropical forest patches influenced by the anthropogenic activities in Mt. Kitanglad Range. Fruit bats were surveyed in the selected forest patches along the increasing elevation characterized by varied temperature, humidity and rainfall. Mist-netting method was done to capture fruit bats for wet and dry seasons in a year in Mt. Kitanglad Range. A total of nine (9) species of fruit bats under Family Pteropodidae such as Ptenochirus jagori (Greater Musky Fruit Bat), Ptenochirus minor (Lesser Musky Fruit Bat), Alionycteris paucidentata (Mindanao Pygmy Fruit Bat), Haplonycteris fischeri (Philippine Pygmy Fruit Bat), Cynopterus brachyotis (Common Short-Nosed Fruit Bat), Rousettus amplexicaudatus (Geoffroy’s Rousette), Macroglossus minimus (Long-Tongue Nectar Bat), Harpyionycteris whiteheadi (Harpy Fruit Bat) and Megaerops wetmorei (White-Collared Fruit Bat) were recorded in all elevations in Mt. Kitanglad Range for both seasons. Based on the netting effort, fruit bats were not affected by seasonal variation in the selected forest patches at all elevations given the foraging, roosting and breeding sites. Fruit bats distribution showed positive correlation to temperature but negatively correlated to elevation, relative humidity and rainfall patterns in forest patches. Thus, forest patches provided habitat for fruit bats with favourable climatic conditions in different elevation. This study would recommend protection of forest patches in the higher elevation and reforestation of degraded areas in highly threatened lowland areas of Mt. Kitanglad Range.
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