Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
Habitat
This species inhabits tropical and subtropical forests, orchards, and urban areas across Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to the Philippines and Indonesia. They prefer lowland regions with abundant fruit trees and roosting sites like caves, tree hollows, or human structures, adapting well to disturbed environments.
Diet
The Lesser short-nosed fruit bat primarily feeds on ripe fruits such as figs, bananas, and mangoes, supplementing with nectar and pollen from flowers. They forage at night using echolocation to locate food, often visiting the same feeding sites repeatedly and playing a key role in seed dispersal.
Behavior
These bats are nocturnal and highly social, forming small colonies of up to 20 individuals in roosts during the day. They exhibit territorial behavior around fruit trees and use vocalizations for communication, with males performing courtship displays during mating seasons. They are agile flyers, capable of hovering while feeding, and often return to traditional roosting sites.
Conservation Status
The IUCN classifies the Lesser short-nosed fruit bat as Least Concern due to its wide distribution and stable population, though it faces threats from habitat loss due to deforestation and urbanization.