Cave nectar bat

{{Speciesbox

|image=Eonycteris spelea.png

|image_alt=Eonycteris spelaea

|image_caption=

|status=LC

|status_system=IUCN3.1

|status_ref={{cite iucn |author=Waldien, D.L. |author2=Adleson, S. |author3=Wilson, Z. |date=2020 |title=Eonycteris spelaea |volume=2020 |page=e.T7787A22128326 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T7787A22128326.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}

|genus=Eonycteris

|species=spelaea

|display_parents=4

|authority=(Dobson, 1871)

|synonyms=

Eonycteris bernsteini Tate, 1942
Macroglossus spelaeus Dobson, 1871

|synonyms_ref=

|range_map=Cave Nectar Bat area.png

|range_map_caption=Cave nectar bat range

}}

The cave nectar bat, dawn bat, common dawn bat, common nectar bat or lesser dawn bat (Eonycteris spelaea) is a species of megabat within the genus Eonycteris. The scientific name of the species was first published by Dobson in 1871.

Description

The upper parts of the cave nectar bat are grey-brown to dark brown to black. The underparts are paler and the neck is sometimes yellowish brown. The muzzle of this bat is elongated, and particularly adapted for drinking nectar. The species has as well an external tail. The head and body length measures {{Convert|8.5|-|11|cm|abbr = on}}, the tail length is about {{Convert|1.5|-|1.8|cm|abbr = on}} and the forearm length measures {{Convert|6|-|7|cm|abbr = on}}{{Cite book|title = A Naturalist's Guide to the Mammals of Southeast Asia|last1 = Shepherd|first1 = Chris R.|publisher = John Beaufoy Publishing|year = 2012|isbn=978-1-906780-71-5|location = Wiltshire, UK|pages = 22|last2 = Shepherd|first2 = Loretta Ann}}

Habits and habitat

The cave nectar bat is found in primary forests and in disturbed and agricultural areas. It roosts in caves, in larger groups, with some roosts exceeding 50,000 individuals, and it sometimes roosts with other bat species. In some places, this species seems to have adapted well to leafy, semi-urban habitats. Due to its large roosting size it has an IUCN status of "least concerned" however, only limited data is available on population size and trends. E. spelaea travels many kilometres each night in search of the nectar of flowering trees and shrubs. Because of that, this bat species is a very important pollinator of fruit trees, such as durians, notably Durio zibethinus and Durio graveolens.{{cite journal|last1=Soepadmo|first1=Engkik|last2=Eow|first2=BK|editor1-last=Mabberley|editor1-first=DJ|editor2-last=Lan|editor2-first=Chang Kiaw|title=The Reproductive Biology of Durio zibethinus Murr.|journal=The Gardens' Bulletin, Singapore|date=31 August 1977|volume=29|pages=25–33|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43625482|access-date=12 November 2017|language=en |format=pdf|issn=2382-5812|oclc=918436212}}{{cite book|last1=Start|first1=A.N.|last2=Marshall|first2=A.G.|editor1-last=Burley|editor1-first=J.|editor2-last=Styles|editor2-first=B.T.|title=Tropical Trees: Variation, Breeding and Conservation |date=1976 |publisher=Academic Press|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0121451509|pages=141–159|language=en|chapter=Nectarivorous Bats as Pollinators of Trees in West Malaysia|oclc=476102040|series=Linnean Society Symposium Series|volume=2}}{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Michael J. |editor1-last=Arora|editor1-first=R.K.|editor2-last=Ramanatha Rao|editor2-first=V.|editor3-last=Rao|editor3-first=A.N.|title=Durio, a Bibliographic Review|date=1997|publisher=International Plant Genetic Resource Institute|location=New Delhi, India |isbn=9789290433187 |page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3AcGwT0CdSwC&q=graveolens&pg=PR2|access-date=11 November 2017|language=en|format=PDF|oclc=38754437}} It also feeds on and pollinates other commercially important crops such as banana (Musa spp.) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus).{{Cite journal|last1=Lim|first1=Voon-Ching|last2=Ramli|first2=Rosli |last3=Bhassu|first3=Subha|last4=Wilson|first4=John-James|date=2018-03-26|title=Pollination implications of the diverse diet of tropical nectar-feeding bats roosting in an urban cave|journal=PeerJ|volume=6|pages=e4572|doi=10.7717/peerj.4572|pmid=29607265|issn=2167-8359|pmc=5875395 |doi-access=free }} In addition to pollinating these plants, the cave nectar bat is an important pollinator for major crops, including up to 55 species of plants. Their tendencies to pollinate certain plants is determined by the proximity of their living quarters. There are at least thirteen plant taxa that the cave nectar bat feeds upon. The dependence on the proximity of the plants explain the variation of which plants that the cave nectar bats pollinate and feed upon.{{cite journal|doi=10.6620/ZS.2017.56-17|last1=Thavry| first1= H.| last2= Cappelle| first2= J.| last3= Bumrungsri| first3= S.| last4= Thona| first4= L.| last5= Furey| first5= N. M.| year=2017| title= The diet of the cave nectar bat (Eonycteris spelaea, Dobson) suggests it pollinates economically and ecologically significant plants in Southern Cambodia| journal= Zoological Studies|volume=56|issue= 56|pages=e17|pmid=31966216|pmc=6517731}} For this reason, E. spelaea is seen as an important species for pollination in disturbed areas bordering on urban and agricultural farms.

Distribution

E. spelaea lives in Bangladesh,{{cite book|url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/RL-549.3-003-v.2.pdf|title=Red List of Bangladesh Volume 2: Mammals|via=Portals.iucn.org|date=2015 |publisher=IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangladesh Country Office |isbn=978-984-34-0735-1|access-date=18 March 2022}} Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia (Java, Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi and some other small islands), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, India and Timor-Leste. It had been previously recorded from Gomantong Caves, Sukau, Segama, and Madai in Sabah; Niah, Sungai Tinjar, and Kuching in Sarawak; and Sungai Tengah and Kutai in Kalimantan.{{cite book |author1=J. Payne |author2=C. M. Francis |author3=K. Phillipps |year=1985 |title=A field guide to the mammals of Borneo |publisher=The Sabah Society |location=Kota Kinabalu, Sabah |isbn=978-967-99947-1-1}}{{Citation|last1=Ghanem|first1=Simon J.|title=Increasing Awareness of Ecosystem Services Provided by Bats|date=2012|work=Advances in the Study of Behavior|pages=279–302|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=9780123942883|last2=Voigt|first2=Christian C.|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-394288-3.00007-1}}{{Cite journal|last1=SHAO|first1=W. W.|last2=HUA|first2=P. Y.|last3=ZHOU|first3=S. Y.|last4=ZHANG|first4=S. Y.|last5=CHEN|first5=J. P.|date=May 2008|title=Characterization of microsatellite loci in the lesser dawn bat (Eonycteris spelaea)|journal=Molecular Ecology Resources|volume=8|issue=3|pages=695–697|doi=10.1111/j.1471-8286.2007.02051.x|pmid=21585874|s2cid=10081806|issn=1755-098X}}{{Cite journal|last=Esselstyn|first=Jacob A.|date=2010-02-23|title=At Long Last, an Authoritative Guide to the Mammals of Indochina|journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution|volume=17|issue=3|pages=215–216|doi=10.1007/s10914-010-9132-z|s2cid=37160888|issn=1064-7554}}

Conservation

This species is killed for bushmeat in Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines.{{cite journal | last1 = Mickleburgh | first1 = S. | last2 = Waylen | first2 = K. | last3 = Racey | first3 = P. | year = 2009 | title = Bats as bushmeat: a global review | journal = Oryx | volume = 43 | issue = 2| pages = 217–234 | doi = 10.1017/s0030605308000938 | doi-access = free }}

Research

The genome of Eonycteris spelaea was recently sequenced using PacBio long-read sequencing.{{Cite journal |last1=Wen|first1=Ming|last2=Ng|first2=Justin H J|last3=Zhu|first3=Feng|last4=Chionh|first4=Yok Teng|last5=Chia|first5=Wan Ni |last6=Mendenhall |first6=Ian H|last7=Lee|first7=Benjamin PY-H|last8=Irving|first8=Aaron T|last9=Wang|first9=Lin-Fa|date=2018-10-01|title=Exploring the genome and transcriptome of the cave nectar bat Eonycteris spelaea with PacBio long-read sequencing|journal=GigaScience |volume=7|issue=10 |doi=10.1093/gigascience/giy116|pmid=30247613|issn=2047-217X|pmc=6177735}} As a small, frugivorous, specialist nectar-feeding bat with good flight potential and that can breed 1–2 times a year,{{Cite book|title=Walker's mammals of the world|last=Nowak, Ronald M. |date=1999 |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=0801857899|oclc=444327317}} it is an ideal species as an animal model for bats. Recent evidence has shown this species can carry multiple viruses such as filoviruses,{{Cite journal|last1=Laing|first1=Eric D. |last2=Mendenhall |first2=Ian H.|last3=Linster|first3=Martin|last4=Low|first4=Dolyce H. W. |last5=Chen|first5=Yihui |last6=Yan|first6=Lianying |last7=Sterling |first7=Spencer L.|last8=Borthwick|first8=Sophie|last9=Neves|first9=Erica Sena|date=January 2018|title=Serologic Evidence of Fruit Bat Exposure to Filoviruses, Singapore, 2011–2016|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |volume=24|issue=1|pages=114–117|doi=10.3201/eid2401.170401 |pmid=29260678|pmc=5749470|issn=1080-6040}}{{Cite journal|last1=Yang|first1=Xing-Lou|last2=Zhang|first2=Yun-Zhi|last3=Jiang|first3=Ren-Di |last4=Guo|first4=Hua|last5=Zhang|first5=Wei|last6=Li|first6=Bei|last7=Wang|first7=Ning|last8=Wang|first8=Li|last9=Waruhiu|first9=Cecilia|date=March 2017|title=Genetically Diverse Filoviruses in Rousettus and Eonycteris spp. Bats, China, 2009 and 2015|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |volume=23|issue=3|pages=482–486|doi=10.3201/eid2302.161119|issn=1080-6040|pmc=5382765|pmid=28221123}} coronaviruses,{{Cite journal |last1=Mendenhall|first1=I. H.|last2=Borthwick|first2=S.|last3=Neves|first3=E. S.|last4=Low|first4=D.|last5=Linster|first5=M. |last6=Liang|first6=B. |last7=Skiles|first7=M.|last8=Jayakumar|first8=J.|last9=Han|first9=H.|date=2016-09-16|title=Identification of a Lineage D Betacoronavirus in Cave Nectar Bats (Eonycteris spelaea) in Singapore and an Overview of Lineage D Reservoir Ecology in SE Asian Bats|journal=Transboundary and Emerging Diseases|volume=64|issue=6|pages=1790–1800|doi=10.1111/tbed.12568|pmid=27637887|pmc=7159162|issn=1865-1674}} astrovirus,{{Cite journal |last1=Mendenhall|first1=Ian H.|last2=Skiles|first2=Maggie M.|last3=Neves|first3=Erica Sena|last4=Borthwick|first4=Sophie A.|last5=Low|first5=Dolyce H.W.|last6=Liang|first6=Benjamin|last7=Lee|first7=Benjamin P.Y.-H.|last8=Su|first8=Yvonne C.F.|last9=Smith|first9=Gavin J.D.|date=December 2017|title=Influence of age and body condition on astrovirus infection of bats in Singapore: An evolutionary and epidemiological analysis|journal=One Health|volume=4|pages=27–33|doi=10.1016/j.onehlt.2017.10.001|pmid=29159263|issn=2352-7714|pmc=5678831}} picornavirus,{{Cite journal |last1=Kapoor|first1=A.|last2=Simmonds|first2=P.|last3=Lipkin|first3=W. I.|last4=Zaidi|first4=S.|last5=Delwart|first5=E.|date=2010-07-28|title=Use of Nucleotide Composition Analysis To Infer Hosts for Three Novel Picorna-Like Viruses|journal=Journal of Virology |volume=84|issue=19 |pages=10322–10328|doi=10.1128/jvi.00601-10|pmid=20668077|issn=0022-538X |pmc=2937767}} lyssavirus,{{Cite journal |last1=Lumlertdacha |first1=Boonlert|last2=Boongird|first2=Kalyanee|last3=Wanghongsa|first3=Sawai|last4=Wacharapluesadee|first4=Supaporn|last5=Chanhome|first5=Lawan|last6=Khawplod|first6=Pkamatz|last7=Hemachudha|first7=Thiravat|last8=Kuzmin|first8=Ivan|last9=Rupprecht|first9=Charles E.|date=February 2005|title=Survey for Bat Lyssaviruses, Thailand|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |volume=11|issue=2|pages=232–236|doi=10.3201/eid1102.040691 |pmid=15752440 |pmc=3320458|issn=1080-6040}} pteropine orthoreovirus{{Cite journal |last1=Taniguchi|first1=Satoshi|last2=Maeda|first2=Ken |last3=Horimoto|first3=Taisuke|last4=Masangkay|first4=Joseph S.|last5=Puentespina|first5=Roberto|last6=Alvarez|first6=James |last7=Eres|first7=Eduardo |last8=Cosico|first8=Edison|last9=Nagata|first9=Noriyo|date=2017-02-11|title=First isolation and characterization of pteropine orthoreoviruses in fruit bats in the Philippines|journal=Archives of Virology |volume=162|issue=6|pages=1529–1539 |doi=10.1007/s00705-017-3251-2|pmid=28190201|s2cid=26357185|issn=0304-8608}} and flavivirus,{{Cite journal|last1=Varelas-Wesley|first1=Irene|author2-link=Charles Calisher|last2=Calisher|first2=Charles H.|date=1982-11-01|title=Antigenic Relationships of Flaviviruses with Undetermined Arthropod-Borne Status *|journal=The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene|volume=31|issue=6|pages=1273–1284|doi=10.4269/ajtmh.1982.31.1273|pmid=6293325|issn=0002-9637}} all without obvious signs of disease.