Palatal and lingual adaptations for frugivory and nectarivory in the Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi)

Abstract

Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) feed on fleshy fruit and nectar of flowers and have an important role in pollination and seed dispersal. It was expected that their buccal morphological structures are adapted to this type of feeding. Consequently, buccal cavity and lingual structures of E. wahlbergi were examined by extended focus light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Morphology of the tongue of E. wahlbergi was similar to that of other fruit- and nectar-feeding bats. The elongated tongue of these bats possessed filiform and conical papillae as mechanical papillae and fungiform and circumvallate papillae as gustatory papillae that varied in distribution. Epomophorus wahlbergi had five palatal ridges and one post-dental palatal ridge, and relatively wide, flattened molar teeth. A hard, papillae structure at the posterior end of the upper palate of the upper plate, which has not been previously described, was observed. It appears that this structure works together with the palatal ridges and teeth, so that the bats crush fleshy fruits during feeding and extract the juices before discarding the pulp. Consequently, lingual and particularly palatal structures of E. wahlbergi show morphological adaptations for efficiently feeding on fleshy fruit and nectar.