Dusky fruit bat

The dusky fruit bat (Penthetor lucasi Dobson, 1880), the only member of the genus Penthetor, a genus of megabat.

Distribution

This species was recorded from six localities, Balui ( n = 9), Tanjung Datu (n = 4), Gunung Gading (n = 14), Kubah (n = 15), Lambir (n = 5) and Samunsam (n = 1), all from Borneo. It ranges from southern Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Riau archipelago ; in Borneo from Gomantong, upper Sungai Kuamut and Sapulut in Sabah; and in Sarawak from Niah, Gunung Mulu, Sungai Sarawak (Payne et al. 1985), and Bau (Karim et al. 2004).

Biology and ecology

P. lucasi was netted in primary forest at Kubah, Lambir and Datu, in regenerated forest at Gunong Gading National Park, and in old secondary habitat at Balui and mangrove swamp at Samunsam. The specimens caught from Tanjung Datu, Sarawak were observed to be darker in fur colour than those observed elsewhere.

In May and October 1996, specimens caught at Kubah were either pregnant, lactating or in post-lactating conditions. In June a female was pregnant in Gunong Gading, and a post-lactating female was caught at Lambir in November. Males had enlarged testes in August, October and November at Samunsam, Lambir and Kubah. Immatures and subadults were netted in Lambir and Kubah in October and November, indicating that their birth occurred between August and September. Subadults (n = 3) were collected in June in an old secondary habitat at Sungai Balui in Sarawak. Medway (1978) reported large numbers of pregnant females caught in Selangor in September and a few in June. The species roosts in rock shelters or caves; and eats fruit, which it carries back to the cave (Payne et al. 1985).