Rodrigues Fruit Bat (Pteropus rodricensis) Fact Sheet: Reproduction & Development

•  Adult males sniff female genitals and groom her often
• "Wing flick" by male in front of female
  • Tip of wing flexed
  • Whole wing stretched
• Grooming becomes more intense
• Male orients to upper surface of female
• Male fans wings against female's sides; attempts to hold female with his wings
• Both animals vocalize
• For mating to take place, female must let go of perch and hold onto male's ankles
• When mating complete, female releases hold of male's legs and returns to perch
• Breed October-December.

• Females have offspring once a year in wild; every 9 mos. in managed care (West 1986)
• Contraceptive implants used to manage managed population growth; this species breeds readily in managed care (Hayes et al 1996)
  • 18 female bats studied at Jersey Zoo to measure impact of the implant on their behavior and well-being
  • Implants have no measured effect on behavior

Gestation

• 140-192 days for Pteropus species
• 180-360 days between births

  Birth

• Female gives birth right side up; catches infant in wings
• Example of birthing assistance (allomaternal care) in a managed care colony at Lubee Foundation in Florida: (Kunz & Allgaier 1994) (Bats Magazine 1995)
  • Helper female bat licks mother's anovaginal area
  • Helper female wraps mother in own wings
  • Helper female demonstrates correct birthing posture (feet-down)
  • Helper female helps support mother in cradle position and helps groom new pup
• Twins occasionally born
• At birth are fully furred, with colors much like the adults
• Hind limbs well-developed (for clinging)
• Weight at birth: average 45 g (1.6 oz) - is up to 18% of mother's weight
  • Mammals other than bats have young only about 8% of maternal weight (Kurta & Kunz 1986)
• Eyes open; can hold up head within hours
  • Use very sharp claws and peg-like baby teeth to hold onto the mother.

West & Redshaw (1987); Kunz & Allgaier (1994)

Infant (<1 year old)     

• Nursing pups are cradled in mother's wing membranes. (Olsson 2009)
• Cared for about one year
• Infants in wild as old as 6 weeks seen being carried by mothers in flight (Carroll 1981) (Hill and Smith 1988)
  • Infants carried until they become too heavy;
  • Often carried to feeding area and set on branch while mother feeds
• From observation made at Jersey Zoo's breeding group in British Isles (Pook 1977)
  • Mothers roost apart from group until young are a few months old.
  • After 2 weeks, infants can cling to branches with feet, but in close contact with mothers
  • At 4 weeks could hang independently but close to mother
  • At 5-7 weeks might roost short distance away from mother
  • At 11 or 12 weeks, given banana by mother
  • Didn't feed on own until 5 months old
  • At 6 months still roosted under mother's wing and occasionally suckled

 Juvenile

•  Mother still roosts with young after 1 year.

 Adult

•  No species of Pteropus sexually mature before 18 months. (Pierson & Rainey 1992)
• Age to sexual maturity between 12-24 months.

Wild populations

• Not reported

Managed care

• Median life expectancy (AZA 2023)
  • Females: 16.5 years
  • Males: 13.6 years

• Predators in wild: no known raptorial birds or predatory reptiles (Carroll 1981)
• Rats and mynah birds may prey on these bats (Carroll 1981)
• Significant losses due to cyclones
  • Bats swept out to sea
  • Trees stripped of leaves and fruit
  • Roosting trees destroyed
• Bat mortality in general is not well documented (Gillette and Kimborough 1970; Messenger et al. 2003)

A female Rodrigues fruit bat gives birth right side up and catches the infant in her wings.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Altringham (1996)
Braden (2000)
Crichton & Krutzsch (2000)
Hayes et al. (1996)
Pook (1977)
West (1986)
West & Redshaw (1987)