Register      Login
Australian Mammalogy Australian Mammalogy Society
Journal of the Australian Mammal Society
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Dietary partitioning in newly sympatric urban flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus and Pteropus alecto)

Phoebe Griffith https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7274-0137 A B D , Kerryn Parry-Jones C and Andrew A. Cunningham A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK.

B Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Royal College Street, London, NW1 0TU, UK.

C School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: phoebe.griffith@zoo.ox.ac.uk

Australian Mammalogy 42(3) 361-366 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM19047
Submitted: 12 July 2019  Accepted: 10 January 2020   Published: 6 February 2020

Abstract

The black flying-fox (Pteropus alecto) is extending its range southward and is now sympatric with the grey-headed flying-fox (P. poliocephalus) in New South Wales. Competition for food between the two species has been suggested to be a contributor to declines of the vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox. During winter 2016 the diet of both species was investigated over one night at four sites of sympatry, by microscopic analysis of faecal samples. Resource partitioning between the two species was found, with the black flying-fox either preferentially choosing to eat more fruit than the grey-headed flying-fox or being an inferior competitor for pollen and nectar. These results, though limited, do not support the hypothesis that the black flying-fox threatens the grey-headed flying-fox through food competition.

Additional keywords: fruit bat, global change, range expansion, resource competition.


References

Alexander, J. M., Diez, J. M., and Levine, J. M. (2015). Novel competitors shape species’ responses to climate change. Nature 525, 515–518.
Novel competitors shape species’ responses to climate change.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26374998PubMed |

Ancillotto, L., Santini, L., Ranc, N., Maiorano, L., and Russo, D. (2016). Extraordinary range expansion in a common bat: the potential roles of climate change and urbanisation. Naturwissenschaften 103, 15.
Extraordinary range expansion in a common bat: the potential roles of climate change and urbanisation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26842786PubMed |

APSA Members (2007). The Australasian Pollen and Spore Atlas V1.0. Australian National University, Canberra. Available at: http://apsa.anu.edu.au/

Baldoa, F., and Drake, P. (2002). A multivariate approach to the feeding habits of small fishes in the Guadalquivir Estuary. Journal of Fish Biology 61, 21–32.
A multivariate approach to the feeding habits of small fishes in the Guadalquivir Estuary.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Barclay, M. R., Barclay, L. E., and Jacobs, D. S. (2006). Deliberate insectivory by the fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus. Acta Chiropterologica 8, 549–553.
Deliberate insectivory by the fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Birt, P. (2004). Mutualistic interactions between the nectar-feeding little red flying-fox Pteropus scapulatus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) and flowering eucalypts (Myrtaceae): habitat utilisation and pollination. Ph.D. thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Birt, P., and Markus, N. (1999). Notes on the temporary displacement of Pteropus alecto and P. poliocephalus by P. scapulatus within a daytime campsite. Australian Mammalogy 21, 107–110.

Chesson, P. (2000). General theory of competitive coexistence in spatially-varying environments. Theoretical Population Biology 58, 211–237.
General theory of competitive coexistence in spatially-varying environments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 11120650PubMed |

Eby, P. (1996). Interactions between the grey-headed flying fox Pteropus poliocephalus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) and its diet plants – seasonal movements and seed dispersal. Ph.D. thesis, University of New England, Armidale.

Eby, P., Richards, G., Collins, L., and Parry-Jones, K. (1999). The distribution, abundance and vulnerability to population reduction of a nomadic nectarivore, the grey-headed flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus in New South Wales, during a period of resource concentration. Australian Zoologist 31, 240–253.
The distribution, abundance and vulnerability to population reduction of a nomadic nectarivore, the grey-headed flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus in New South Wales, during a period of resource concentration.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Hall, L. S., and Richards, G. (2000). ‘Flying Foxes: Fruit and Blossom Bats of Australia.’ (UNSW Press: Sydney.)

Hardin, G. (1960). The competitive exclusion principle. Science 131, 1292–1297.
The competitive exclusion principle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 14399717PubMed |

Hinkle, D. E., Wiersma, W., and Jurs, S. G. (2003). ‘Applied Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences.’ 5th edn. (Houghton Mifflin: Boston, MA.)

Jones, G. D. (2012). Pollen analyses for pollination research, unacetolyzed pollen. Journal of Pollination Ecology 9, 96–107.
Pollen analyses for pollination research, unacetolyzed pollen.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Knudson, C. (2018). ‘glmm: Generalized Linear Mixed Models via Monte Carlo Likelihood Approximation.’ R package ver. 1.3.0. Available at: https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=glmm

McWilliam, A. N. (1986). The feeding ecology of Pteropus in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Myotis 23–24, 201–208.

Nelson, J. E. W. (1965). Behaviour of Australian Pteropodidae (Megachiroptera). Animal Behaviour 13, 544–557.
Behaviour of Australian Pteropodidae (Megachiroptera).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Oksanen, J., Blanchet, F. G., Kindt, R., Legendre, P., Minchin, P. R., O’Hara, R. B., Simpson, G. L., Solymos, P., Henry, M., Stevens, H., and Wagner, H. (2015). ‘vegan: Community Ecology. Package.’ R package ver. 2.2–1. Available at: http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=vegan

Palmer, C., and Woinarski, J. C. Z. (1999). Seasonal roosts and foraging movements of the black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) in the Northern Territory: resource tracking in a landscape mosaic. Wildlife Research 26, 823–838.
Seasonal roosts and foraging movements of the black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) in the Northern Territory: resource tracking in a landscape mosaic.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Palmer, C., Price, O., and Bach, C. (2000). Foraging ecology of the black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) in the seasonal tropics of the Northern Territory, Australia. Wildlife Research 27, 169–178.
Foraging ecology of the black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) in the seasonal tropics of the Northern Territory, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Parry-Jones, K. (1985). Winter flying-fox colonies in southern NSW. Australian Zoologist 22, 5–6.
Winter flying-fox colonies in southern NSW.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Parry-Jones, K. A. (1993). The movements of Pteropus poliocephalus in New South Wales. Ph.D. thesis, University of New South Wales, Sydney.

Parry-Jones, K. A., and Augee, M. L. (1991). Food selection by grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) occupying a summer colony site near Gosford, New South Wales. Wildlife Research 18, 111–124.
Food selection by grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) occupying a summer colony site near Gosford, New South Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Parry-Jones, K. A., and Augee, M. L. (1992a). Movements of grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) to and from colony site on the central coast of New South Wales. Wildlife Research 19, 331–339.
Movements of grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) to and from colony site on the central coast of New South Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Parry-Jones, K. A., and Augee, M. L. (1992b). Insects in flying fox diets. Bat Research News 33, 9–11.

Parry‐Jones, K. A., and Augee, M. L. (2001). Factors affecting the occupation of a colony site in Sydney, New South Wales by the grey‐headed flying‐fox Pteropus poliocephalus (Pteropodidae). Austral Ecology 26, 47–55.

R Core Team (2013). R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Available at: http://R-project.org/

Roberts, B. J., Catterall, C. P., Eby, P., and Kanowski, J. (2012). Latitudinal range shifts in Australian flying‐foxes: a re‐evaluation. Austral Ecology 37, 12–22.
Latitudinal range shifts in Australian flying‐foxes: a re‐evaluation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Schmelitschek, E., French, K., and Parry-Jones, K. (2009). Fruit availability and utilisation by grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropodidae: Pteropus poliocephalus) in a human-modified environment on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. Wildlife Research 36, 592–600.
Fruit availability and utilisation by grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropodidae: Pteropus poliocephalus) in a human-modified environment on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Shimeld, P., Hopf, F., and Pearson, S. (2000). Pollen image management: the Newcastle digital collection initiative. Quaternary Australasia 18, 13–15.

Tedman, R. A., and Hall, L. S. (1985). The morphology of the gastrointestinal tract and food transit time in the fruit bats Pteropus alecto and P. poliocephalus (Megachiroptera). Australian Journal of Zoology 33, 625–640.
The morphology of the gastrointestinal tract and food transit time in the fruit bats Pteropus alecto and P. poliocephalus (Megachiroptera).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Webb, N. J., and Tidemann, C. R. (1996). Mobility of Australian flying-foxes, Pteropus spp. (Megachiroptera): evidence from genetic variation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 263, 497–502.
Mobility of Australian flying-foxes, Pteropus spp. (Megachiroptera): evidence from genetic variation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Welbergen, J. A. (2004). The social organisation of the grey-headed flying-fox, Pteropus poliocephalus. Ph.D. thesis, University of Cambridge.