Pictures and facts about the Fruit-eating bats

Gervais's fruit-eating bat	brown fruit-eating bat
fringed fruit-eating bat	Jamaican fruit-eating bat
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Fruit-eating bats

Order : Chiroptera
Family : Phyllostomidae
Subfamily : Stenodermatinae
Genus : Artibeus

Facts about the genus Artibeus, the fruit-eating bats

Fruit-eating bats are nature's most important seed-dispersing mammals.

However, Artibeus is polyestrous and usually produces 2 pregnancies per year, but is capable of producing 3 if there is no delay. (Full text)

Erophylla is an early phyllostomid colonist of the Greater Antilles:based on the fossil record, Artibeus is a recent colonist. (Full text)

Fruit-eating bats are essential for dispersal of seeds in tropical forests, and nectar eating bats are necessary for the pollination of countless tropical plants. (Full text)

This Artibeus is carrying a fig; when the seeds are very tiny, as in the case of figs, the bat eats the fruit, ingesting the seeds, which pass through the gut unaffected. (Full text)

Description: The genus Artibeus is characterized by four white facial stripes, pointed ears, and soft, short fur of a dull brownish, grayish, or black silver-tinged color, and paler underparts. (Full text)

harti, as "formerly known as Artibeus harti", meaning that the name changed from Artibeus to Enchisthenes; whereas others believe that Artibeus is the new name. (Full text)

Fruit-eating bats are nature's most important seed-dispersing animals. (Full text)

Protection of these fruit-eating bats is included in the park's enabling legislation. (Full text)

Fruit-eating bats are some of the most important dispersers of tree seeds in the tropical rainforest. (Full text)

Most insect eating bats have this ability while only one species of fruit eating bats are able to echolocate. (Full text)

  Throughout the tropics, fruit-eating bats are very important in seed dispersal. (Full text)

Fruit-eating bats are vital to the ecosystems in which they live. (Full text)

Note: field identification of bats in the Dermanura group of Artibeus is notoriously difficult. (Full text)

From big cities to country farms, these giant, fruit-eating bats are feeling the heat like never before. (Full text)

Artibeus is less gregarious than Carollia (Ditchfield 1991) which supports our finding that no Artibeus had streblids while all Carollia did. (Full text)