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Field Studies on the African Fruit Bat Epomophorus wahlbergi (Sundevall), with Special Reference to Male Calling
Author(s) -
Wickler Wolfgang,
Seibt Uta
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
zeitschrift für tierpsychologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0044-3573
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1976.tb00941.x
Subject(s) - biology , zoology , repetition (rhetorical device) , communication , ecology , psychology , linguistics , philosophy
Social interactions, site attachment and group cohesion were studied in a free‐living colony of Epomophorus fruit bats. Daily activities in an undisturbed colony were recorded. Special attention was paid to the peculiar calling behaviour of courting ♂♂ during the night. Structure and repetition rate of their sounds were analyzed in the laboratory. A special mode of acoustic interaction was found and related to the observed spacing out of calling ♂♂ By following feeding animals in the field and by analysis of their faeces we found that besides fruits they eat special leaves which afford steroidal sapogenins.