Jamaican Fruit Bat - Ecology

Ecology

The Jamaican fruit bat ranges from southern Mexico southward toto northwestern Argentina. It also lives on the islands of Trinidad, Tobago, Greater and Lesser Antilles and the Florida Keys. It can be found in elevations from sea level to 2,135m. This species is found in a variety of habitats. It prefers that are humid and tropical but has also adpated to cloud forests and drier tropical habitats. Fruit bats roost in caves, hollow trees, dense foliage, buildings and leaf tents. The fruit bat may create its own "tent" to roost in by altering broad leaves. These "tents" are only temporarily used.

The Jamaican fruit bat is a frugivore. They eat an number of kinds of fruit but focus mostly on figs; at Barro Colorado Island, Panama, figs make up more than 78% of the fruits eaten. Bats will also supplement leaves of plants with high amounts of protein. Overall, the fruit bat consumes a diverse amount of plants but locally only eats certain types. A Jamaican fruit-eating carries plucks it food and carries it away with its mouth before eating it in its roosts. As such it can disperse seeds fairly far. Fruit bats have been recorded carrying fruits weighing of 3-14 g or even as much as 50 g. Jamaican fruit bats relys on sight and smell to find fruit of certain colors and odors.

The maximum longevity for the Jamaican fruit bat is nine years in the wild. Predators of fruits bats include owls, snakes, large oppossums, and coati. Bats from various sites have been found with Histoplasma capsulatum. Some individual bats may have rabies. Fruit also are susceptible to various internal parasites: nematodes and ringworms and external parasites: mites, ticks and chiggers.