Actual folivory in bats: whole leaves as a formerly dismissed trophic item and a potential avenue for self-medication

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Abstract To date, leaf consumption in bats has not been considered ‘true folivory’ because bats chew bits of leaves, extract and swallow their juices, and discard their fibre. The term ‘leaf fractionation’ is used to distinguish this behaviour from true folivory, or the consumption of full leaves, such as exhibited by herbivores. For over three decades, it has been posited that the consumption of entire leaves — leaf fibre included — would require a digestive system incompatible with bats’ ability to fly. Natural history observations can amend long-accepted assumptions, however. We observed a common Neotropical frugivorous bat consuming mature leaves in their entirety, without discarding any part. This anecdotal observation begs further investigation, opening the possibility for a shift in our current understanding of bat feeding behaviour. Because the consumption and digestion of whole leaves leave no readily observable trace (i.e., no dropped remains below the roost), this behaviour may be more prevalent than previously appreciated. While feeding exclusively on leaves remains unlikely in bats, our anecdotal observation reveals that true folivory does indeed take place. Our objective in publishing this observation is to invite research on the role of whole leaves in the diets of bats and their physiological implications. Exploring the effect of leaf consumption on potential self-medication is also paramount. Bats, long recognized for their spectacular dietary diversity, may now be known to feed not only on insects, fruit, nectar, pollen, vertebrates, and blood, but also on entire leaves.