Interisland movements of fruit bats (Pteropus mariannus) in the Mariana Islands
Wiles GJ and Glass PO. 1990. Interisland movements of fruit bats (Pteropus mariannus) in the Mariana Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin. 343:1-6
Fruit bats of the genus Pteropus are considered to be strong fliers, with some species commuting distances of 10-50 km between day roosts and feeding areas. However, for most members of the genus, movements remain poorly understood, especially for populations of Pteropus in the Pacific Ocean. Islanders in the Mariana Islands occasionally report Mariana fruit bats flying between islands. This study documents recent evidence of interisland movements of P. mariannus in the southern Marianas based on information collected from 1978-1988. Because of recent declines in populations on these islands, it is necessary to understand the extent to which populations on different islands intermingle and whether declines on one island affect population sizes on neighboring islands.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Wiles, G.; Glass, P.
- Units
- PACN , WAPA
- Keywords
- Abundance (Biodiversity), Animal Studies, Distribution (Biodiversity), fruit bats, Guam, interisland movement, Population Size, Presence (Biodiversity), Taxa Links To References