Relationship Between Wing Morphology and Forging Strategy of Megachiropteran Bats

Abstract

Morphology provides the set of tools that organisms use to interact with their physical environment. Although bats are nocturnal, their ecology is equivalent to birds, but morphological adaptations of bats for flight and foraging are vastly different Foraging strategy in bat species is totally depend on wing morphology. The fruit eating bats differ from insect eating bats in their foraging patterns. Low aspect ratio, short wingspan and high wing loading in respect to that of the body size has provided them with commuting foraging flights covering wider area. Rousettus leschenaulti, Pteropus giganteus and Cynopterus sphinx of mega chiropteran species of the present study show remarkable variation in their flight patterns depending on their wing morphology. All of them show broad wing with high wing loading enabling them to attain a moderate flight speed which provide them sufficient foraging time and long distance commuting flight. But they show variation in their wingspan, aspect ratio and wing tip length and wing tip shape. This variation helps each one of them to attain species-specific manoevrability flight in cluttered area, low cost of transport and agility. This variation in turn reflects their foraging pattern and selection of food items. The present study has made an attempt to focus on their variation in foraging strategy based on morphology of wing.