Abstract
The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of heat wave on the behavior and population count of Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus from a roosting colony occupying a Tamarind tree Tamarindus indica at Simla Village of Purulia District of West Bengal, India during the period from March 2010 to July 2010. A total population comprising 250 individuals, recorded in March 2010, came down to 80 by June 2010. Information obtained from local villagers affirmed that the roosting bat colony from the present study location was a century old and had no apparent conflicts with villagers; moreover, it was protected with reverence. However, soaring day temperatures (with a maximum of up to 480C, recorded during May and June 2010) alongside drought were the major threats that the population faced and mass die-offs caused the population to decline during the hotter months. Continuous fanning and belly-soaking were common behavioural features recorded during the summer months. However, death rate due to hyperthermia and dehydration was uncommonly high. Â
Highlights
ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ƚŽ ĂīĞĐƚ the life history and demography of individuals
The present study clearly indicates that extreme high temperature has a profound effect on the Indian Flying Fox
At Purulia District, the temperature has been recorded to range from a maximum of 450C to a minimum of 230C during the summer while it is between a maximum of 200C and a minimum of 30C during the winter
Summary
ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ƚŽ ĂīĞĐƚ the life history and demography of individuals. If they are to stay alive and reproduce, organisms must cope. Heat wave on the Indian Flying Fox global increase in temperature between the average of 1850–1900 and the 2003–2012 periods has been approximated to be 0.78 (0.72 to 0.85) 0C (IPCC 2013). Because flying foxes roost among exposed branches of high trees, they are susceptible to the effects of extreme temperatures.
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