Physical Description Like other bats in the Family Pteropodidae, Acerodon jubatus has large, bright eyes and relatively simple external ears with continuous margins. The ears are about as long as the muzzle and are pointed. There is a claw on the second digit of each wing. The skull has strong, incomplete postorbital processes, with supraorbital foramena. The teeth are sharp and pointed, except for the last two molars. (Ingle and Heaney, 1992; Taylor, 1934) The fur of Acerodon jubatus is thin on the throat and ear membranes, absent on the wing membranes, and short and smooth on the body. There is considerable variation in color but the typical scheme is dark brown or black on the forehead and sides of the head, reddish brown on the shoulders, and a dark brown or black on the lower back and underside. The nape ranges from cream to golden yellow. There is a narrow line of orange at the back of the neck. Variable numbers of yellow hairs are scattered throughout the fur, especially on the lower body. Variation in color does not depend on age, sex, or locality. (Nowak, 1991; Taylor, 1934) The head and body length combined ranges from 178 to 290 mm; there is no tail. The forearm varies between 125 and 203 mm, and the wingspan varies between 1.51 and 1.7 m. Weights between 1050 and 1200 g have been reported, making Acerodon jubatus among the largest bats in the world. Males are larger and heavier than females. (Heaney and Heideman, 1987; Ingle and Heaney, 1992; Mudar and Allen, 1986; Nowak, 1991) Other Physical Features

endothermic

homoiothermic

bilateral symmetry Sexual Dimorphism

male larger Range mass 1050 to 1200 g 37.00 to 42.29 oz

Range length 178 to 290 mm 7.01 to 11.42 in

Range wingspan 1.51 to 1.7 m 4.95 to 5.58 ft

Reproduction No information is currently available on the mating system of Acerodon jubatus. Acerodon jubatus populations on all islands reproduce at approximately the same time, indicating that they probably use photoperiod as a cue instead of more localized environmental conditions. Females give birth during April and May, and possibly early June. Females in captivity give birth only once every two years; those in the wild likely reproduce less often. Not much about litter size is known, but females have not been observed with more than one offspring at a time. (Heideman, 1987; Mildenstein, et al., 2008) Key Reproductive Features

iteroparous

seasonal breeding

gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)

sexual

viviparous Breeding interval Females can breed as often as once every two years.

Breeding season Births occur from April to June, but gestation periods are unknown, so the breeding season has yet to be determined

Average number of offspring 1 Females have been observed to carry a single offspring. The young cling to their mothers' fur with their claws, while the mothers fan them with one wing to keep them cool. Females invest significantly in their young through gestation and lactation. (Taylor, 1934) Parental Investment

altricial

pre-fertilization provisioning protecting female

pre-hatching/birth provisioning female protecting female

pre-weaning/fledging provisioning female protecting female



Lifespan/Longevity No information is currently available on longevity in Acerodon jubatus.

Communication and Perception Acerodon jubatus individuals have large eyes and may use visual cues in communication. They have a distinctive odor, suggesting olfactory communication, but no specific scent glands have been identified. Communication Channels

visual

chemical Perception Channels

visual

tactile

acoustic

chemical

Food Habits Golden-capped fruit bats are frugivores. Figs (Ficus) appear to be a dietary staple, as fig seeds compose 41% of droppings on average. Ficus subcordata is the most commonly eaten species, though Acerodon jubatus also shows a strong preference for fruits from other Ficus species and, to a lesser extent, Ficus variegata. Not every fig species is used, and the dietary range is narrower than other bats in the same area. Notably, these staple plants are only found in mature lowland forests, making golden-capped fruit bats forest obligates. They also consume leaves by crushing them and swallowing the liquid content, but how much of the diet is composed of leaves is unknown. (Stier and Mildenstein, 2005) Primary Diet

herbivore frugivore

Plant Foods

leaves

fruit

Predation There are no known predators of Acerodon jubatus.

Ecosystem Roles Golden-capped fruit bats, as frugivores, are distributors of plant seeds. The impact of such distribution on the local ecosystem has not been recorded. (Stier and Mildenstein, 2005) Ecosystem Impact

disperses seeds

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive Some large bat roosts, shared by Acerodon jubatus and other species, are used as tourist attractions. (Mildenstein, et al., 2008) Golden-capped fruit bats are hunted for consumption. They are also occasionally captured live for exportation, though this is uncommon because they are said to have an unpleasant smell compared to other, similar bats. These practices have contributed to the species's endangered status. (Mildenstein, et al., 2008) Positive Impacts

pet trade

food

ecotourism

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative There are no known adverse effects of Acerodon jubatus on humans.

This species now includes Panay golden-crowned flying foxes, Acerodon lucifer, which was once considered a separate species. There appear to be no morphological differences to distinguish the two taxa. It is not known whether they are behaviorally identical, and this will probably never be determined because the Panay population appears to be extinct. (Ingle and Heaney, 1992; Mildenstein, et al., 2008)

Contributors Virginia Heinen (author), Michigan State University, Barbara Lundrigan (editor, instructor), Michigan State University, Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.

Glossary acoustic uses sound to communicate altricial young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching. bilateral symmetry having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria. chemical uses smells or other chemicals to communicate colonial used loosely to describe any group of organisms living together or in close proximity to each other - for example nesting shorebirds that live in large colonies. More specifically refers to a group of organisms in which members act as specialized subunits (a continuous, modular society) - as in clonal organisms. ecotourism humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of natural areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals. endothermic animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds. food A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing. forest forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality. frugivore an animal that mainly eats fruit herbivore An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants. island endemic animals that live only on an island or set of islands. iteroparous offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes). motile having the capacity to move from one place to another. native range the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic. nocturnal active during the night oriental found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia. pet trade the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets. riparian Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream). seasonal breeding breeding is confined to a particular season sedentary remains in the same area sexual reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female social associates with others of its species; forms social groups. swamp a wetland area that may be permanently or intermittently covered in water, often dominated by woody vegetation. tactile uses touch to communicate terrestrial Living on the ground. tropical the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south. visual uses sight to communicate viviparous reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.