Fruit Bat
Distribution
The Egyptian fruit bat or Egyptian rousette (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is a species of megabat that is found in Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the Indian subcontinent.
Diet
The Egyptian fruit bat is frugivorous, consuming mostly fruit, though it also consumes leaves.
Information
The Egyptian fruit bat is a highly social species, usually living in colonies with thousands of other bats. It, along with other members of the genus Rousettus, are some of the only fruit bats to use echolocation, though a more primitive version than used by bats in other families. It has also developed a socially-complex vocalization system to communicate with conspecifics. The Egyptian fruit bat is a frugivore that consumes a variety of fruits depending on the season and local availability. Because of its consumption of commercially-grown fruits, the Egyptian fruit bat is considered a pest by farmers. It also acts as a pollinator and seed disperser for many species of trees and other plants.
