Mammals of the WorldLesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat
Cynopterus brachyotis
- Order
- Chiroptera
- Family
- Pteropodidae
- Genus
- Cynopterus
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Sri Lanka|India|Bhutan|Bangladesh|Myanmar|China|Vietnam|Laos|Cambodia|Thailand|Malaysia|Singapore|Andaman and Nicobar Islands|Indonesia|Brunei
- Realm
- Indomalaya|Palearctic
Other names: Common Short-nosed Fruit Bat|Lesser Dog-faced Fruit Bat|Sunda Short-nosed Fruit Bat
About this species
- Size
- Head and body 7–8cm; forearm 6–7cm
- Weight
- 21–32g
- Diet
- Aromatic fruit, especially mangoes; also nectar and pollen
- Habitat
- Roosts in trees in small groups
- Range
- Southwest and northeast India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia
- Gestation
- About 3.5–4 months
The lesser short-nosed fruit bat, also called the lesser dog-faced fruit bat, is a small fruit bat weighing 21–32 g, with a head and body of 7–8 cm and a forearm of 6–7 cm. It is brown to yellowish brown with a brighter collar, dark orange in males and yellowish in females, and has white-edged ears and wing bones. It prefers aromatic fruit, especially mangoes, extracting the juice and soft pulp, and also takes nectar and pollen (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is widely distributed in southwest and northeast India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and the Andaman animals are a separate subspecies. Groups roost in trees, with males often roosting alongside up to four females. Males build leaf shelters by chewing palm fronds. Gestation is about 3.5–4 months, and the lifespan is about 20–30 years (Wikipedia, general species account).
Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)