Rousettus leschenaultii, Desmarest, 1820

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 86

43.

Leschenault’s Rousette

Rousettus leschenaultii

French: Roussette de Leschenault / German: Leschenault-Flughund / Spanish: Rosetus de Leschenault

Other common names: Fulvous Fruit Bat, Shortridge’s Rousette

Taxonomy. Pteropus leschenaultii Desmarest, 1820 ,

Pondicherry, India.

Three subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

R.l.leschenaultiiDesmarest,1820—Paki-stan,India,Nepal,Bhutan,Bangladesh,Myanmar,Thailand,Laos,Vietnam,Cam-bodia,SChina,andcoastalIs,includingHainanI.

R.l.seminudus].E.Gray,1870—SriLanka.

R. l. shortridgei Thomas & Wroughton, 1909 — Sumatra (including Simeulue I), Java, Bali, and Lombok Is.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 80- 125 mm, tail 13-17-5> mm, ear 17-24 mm, hindfoot 17-23- 5 mm, forearm 77- 96- 3 mm; weight 40-92- 5 g. Leschenault’s Rousette is distinguished from its congeners by comparatively longer C'-M?* and M,. Muzzle is short and slender; tips of ears are not attenuated; pollex is markedly short; wings are short, especially in segment of first and second phalanx of third digit; and feet are small. Outer margins of ears are much more convex than inner margins, and tips are broad. Antitragal lobes are small and rounded. Furis similar in quality and distribution to that of Geoffroy’s Rousette ( R. amplexicaudatus ), but tibia is thinly haired. Pelage is darker and browner, especially on crown, although variations have been recorded. Teeth are also small, and molars are somewhat narrow. Premaxillae project sharply forward, and border of palate is sharply angulate. Palatal ridges 4 + 3 + 1. M,is similar in length to M, and M, 1s elliptical in outline. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 36 and FN = 68.

Habitat. Hilly regions with evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous forests (Northern Western Ghats, India) and tropical rainforest (Yunnan, China). Leschenault’s Rousette seems very sensitive to human-induced habitat disturbance and to prefer high relative humidity in roosting sites.

Food and Feeding. L.eschenault’s Rousette is frugivore but also feeds on nectar, pollen, and leaves. It consumes fruits of from at least 18 genera in 13 families; only near ripe and ripe fruits are eaten. Leschenault’s Rousette also consumed leaves of Beilschmiedia purpurascens ( Lauraceae ) and nectar of Ceiba (Malvaceae) and Musa (Musaceae) . Captive experiments showed that odor might act as the primary food cue when foraging. Leschenault’s Rousettes usually forage alone. Leschenault’s Rousettes disperse randomly to forage in nearby forests (Northern Western Ghats). Mist net captures were 2-23- 5 m high, with upper canopy preferred.

Breeding. In Yunnan Province (southern China), Leschenault’s Rousettes breeds yearround, with peak in March-May. In the Western Ghats,lactating females were found in summer and post-monsoon seasons, suggesting seasonal polyestry and postpartum estrus. During this time, females segregate temporarily not too far from the main cluster. Menstrualcycle is 33 days, with one day of bleeding. One young is born per pregnancy.

Activity patterns. Leschenault’s Rousettes emerge from roosts late in the evening in groups of a few individuals. Foraging time pattern is influenced by moon phase. Navigation is accomplished with echolocation using single and double tongue clicks, with simple clicks emitted either in beginning or end ofclick sequences. Simple brief impulsive clicks and reduction in interpulse interval when approaching walls suggest a good ability to avoid obstacles, similar to that of laryngeal echolocating bats. Leschenault’s Rousettes roost in natural caves but might also use man-made structures (e.g. dam tunnels).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Leschenault’s Rousette appears to share roosts with other bat species. Colonies can have more than 10,000 individuals that form compact clusters and include adults and young, occupying high corners of caves. Individuals constantly change their positions in a cluster. Genetic studies including mitochondrial and microsatellite loci showed little demographic structure across sites from India to Vietnam and China. This pattern suggests high levels of gene flow among colonies.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Leschenault’s Rousette is widely distributed, population is presumably very large, and it tolerates habitat disturbance, so it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to be listed in a more threatened category. Nevertheless, it is locally threatened by hunting (for consumption and medicinal uses) and human disturbance at roosting sites (mining, tourism and other activities). Across South Asia, Leschenault’s Rousette is classified as vermin and persecuted by humans using poisoning, fumigation, and stoning.

Bibliography. Aeshita et al. (2006), Bates & Harrison (1997), Bates & Helgen (2008), Harada, Minezawa et al. (1982), Korad & Gaikwad (2008), Raghuram, Gopukumar & Sripathi (2007), Raghuram, Singaravelan et al. (2011), Singaravelan & Marimuthu (2004), Shahbaz, Javid, Javed et al. (2014), Sudhakaran & Doss (2012), Zhang Xiaoping et al. (2007).

Figures

32. Zenker’s Fruit Bat (Scotonycteris zenkeri), 33. Hayman’s Fruit Bat (Scotonycteris occidentalis), 34. Bergmans’s Fruit Bat (Scotonycteris bergmansi), 35. Short-palated Fruit Bat (Casinycteris argynnas), 36. Pohle’s Fruit Bat (Casinycteris ophiodon), 37. Campo-Ma’an Fruit Bat (Casinycteris campomaanensis), 38. Lesser Dawn Bat (Eonycteris spelaea), 39. Greater Dawn Bat (Eonycteris major), 40. Philippine Dawn Bat (Eonycteris robusta), 41. Geoffroy’s Rousette (Rousettus amplexicaudatus), 42. Bare-backed Rousette (Rousettus spinalatus), 43. Leschenault’s Rousette (Rousettus leschenaultin), 44. Linduan Rousette (Rousettus linduensis), 45. Sulawesi Rousette (Rousettus celebensis), 46. Egyptian Rousette (Rousettus aegyptiacus), 47. Malagasy Rousette (Rousettus madagascariensis), 48. Comoro Rousette (Rousettus obliviosus), 49. Long-haired Fruit Bat (Stenonycteris lanosus)

Subspecies and Distribution. R.l.leschenaultiiDesmarest,1820—Paki-stan,India,Nepal,Bhutan,Bangladesh,Myanmar,Thailand,Laos,Vietnam,Cam-bodia,SChina,andcoastalIs,includingHainanI. R.l.seminudus].E.Gray,1870—SriLanka. R. l. shortridgei Thomas & Wroughton, 1909 — Sumatra (including Simeulue I), Java, Bali, and Lombok Is.