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[62] One study that examined the eyes of some Rousettus, Epomophorus, Eidolon, and Pteropus species determined that the first three genera possess a tapetum lucidum, a reflective structure in the eyes that improves vision at low light levels, while the Pteropus species do not. [57] Additionally, megabats have exceptionally large lung volumes relative to their sizes. [152] As of 2019, the IUCN had evaluations for 187 megabat species. Megabats reached Africa in at least four distinct events. [29] As of 2014, no flying fox fossils are known from before the Holocene. Most of the time, fruit bats are not killed by anything other than age or accidents. [9], Flying fox species vary in body weight, ranging from 120–1,600 g (0.26–3.53 lb). Another story features a flying fox that could transform into a young man; the flying fox stole a woman away from her husband to take as his wife. An adult fruit bat can weigh up to 1.6kg. [23] It is estimated that more than 98% of pteropodid fossil history is missing. [78], As with nearly all bat species, males do not assist females in parental care. [132] Due to the likely association between Ebola infection and "hunting, butchering and processing meat from infected animals", several West African countries banned bushmeat (including megabats) or issued warnings about it during the 2013–2016 epidemic; many bans have since been lifted. They lack both a cecum and an appendix. Flying foxes eat fruit and other plant matter, and occasionally consume insects as well. Due to that variation these bats are often mistaken for many different types rather than being identified as the same. Locals believe that "unique meat" from undomesticated animals should be served on special occasions to "enliven the atmosphere." The practice of date palm sap collection involves placing collecting pots at date palm trees. How megabats reached Africa is also unknown. [129] The outbreak was traced to laboratory work with vervet monkeys from Uganda. Cave-roosting species form aggregations ranging from ten individuals up to several thousand. They help spread the seeds in the fruit they eat by discarding them in ejecta pellets or through their guano. [108] Netting is the most effective way to prevent crop loss, though some farmers find it cost prohibitive. The belly is usually furless to ensure they get warmth from their mother. [150] Teeth of the insular flying fox (Pteropus tonganus) are particularly prized, as they are usually large enough to drill holes in. Females have one pair of mammae located in the chest region. "[96], Flying foxes are the natural reservoirs of several viruses, some of which can be transmitted to humans. As of 2018, 197 species of megabat had been described. However, under the Protection of WildLife Act of 1972, flying foxes can be killed without permits if they are causing damage or if there is "reason to believe that it is about to cause serious damage" to crops. Folk stories from Australia and Papua New Guinea feature them. [62] Over half of the species are threatened today with extinction, and in particular in the Pacific, a number of species have died out as a result of hunting, deforestation, and predation by invasive species. This is not as easy as it sounds because they are in large numbers and the fact that they come out at night when most farmers are sleeping. [70]:5 The saltwater crocodile is a known predator of megabats, based on analysis of crocodile stomach contents in northern Australia. It costs US$4,400–44,000 to net 1 ha (2.5 acres) of crops. [2], In 1984, an additional pteropodid subfamily, Propottininae, was proposed, representing one extinct species described from a fossil discovered in Africa, Propotto leakeyi. [106], Flying foxes are often considered pests due to the damage they cause to orchard crops. Emphasizing sustainable hunting of flying foxes to preserve cultural currency may be more effective than encouraging the abandonment of cultural currency. [104][105] While other bat species have been suspected or implicated as the reservoir of diseases such as SARS and Ebola, flying foxes are not suspected as hosts for either causative virus. Megabats are a popular food source in some areas, leading to population declines and extinction. Bats in other genera can have pups that weigh as much as 30% of the mother's weight at birth. The mummified bodies or skeletons of these bats are often shipped to the United States where they are sold in souvenir or curiosity shops or online through vendors such as Etsy or eBay. [20] As of 2018, there were 197 described species of megabat,[21] around a third of which are flying foxes of the genus Pteropus. [66] Tube-nosed fruit bats such as the eastern tube-nosed bat (Nyctimene robinsoni) have stereo olfaction, meaning they are able to map and follow odor plumes three-dimensionally. The wing of a fruit bat can be 6 feet long. Tree-roosting species can be solitary or highly colonial, forming aggregations of up to one million individuals. [100] This dispersal ability is limited to plants with small seeds that are less than 4 mm (0.16 in) in length, as seeds larger than this are not ingested. The physical appearance of fruit bats is influenced greatly by their biological characteristics, which according to scientists is a lot like that of humans and monkeys. Instead, they use their teeth to bite off parts of the fruits and their long tongues unroll to remove flesh from the fruits. "[74], Legal protection can vary within a country as well, such as in Malaysia. Transmission occurs from the bite or scratch of an infected animal, but can also occur from getting the infected animal's saliva in a mucous membrane or an open wound. [57] To prevent fruit damage, farmers may legally or illegally cull flying foxes. [29] Based on molecular evolution, flying foxes diverged from a common ancestor with Rousettus 28–18 million years ago[30] and from their sister taxa Neopteryx and Acerodon 6.6–10.6 million years ago. [7]:230 French biologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte was the first to use the corrected spelling Pteropodidae in 1838. [127] The presence of Marburgvirus, which causes Marburg virus disease, has been confirmed in one species, the Egyptian fruit bat. Humans can contract Nipah virus from direct contact with flying foxes or their fluids, through exposure to an intermediate host such as domestic pigs, or from contact with an infected person. Across all species, males are usually larger than females. To make up for their lack of echolocation techniques, as nature would have it, they evolved: their sense of smell improved and their eyesight became sharper. Although, like all mammals bats have solid bones, their legs do not have enough muscle to support their weight when they stand. [9] This classification scheme has been verified several times subsequently and remains widely supported as of 2019. Most of the fruit bat babies are born in October because most of the mating happens around April. [23][24], Flying foxes do not echolocate, and therefore rely on sight to navigate. [135] There are no documented instances of direct transmission between flying foxes and humans. Only members of one genus, Notopteris, have tails. All five digits of the foot flex in the direction of the sagittal plane, with no digit capable of flexing in the opposite direction, as in the feet of perching birds. In Australia the rabies virus is not naturally present; Australian bat lyssavirus is the only lyssavirus present.

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