Growth rates of, and milk feeding schedules for, juvenile spectacled flying-foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus) reared for release at a rehabilitation centre in north Queensland, Australia
Jennefer Mclean A , Ashleigh Johnson A , Delaine Woods A B , Reinhold Muller A C , David Blair A D and Petra G. Buettner
A C E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Tolga Bat Rescue and Research Inc., PO Box 685, Atherton, Qld 4883, Australia.
B The Evergreen State College, 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW, Olympia, WA 98505, USA.
C Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia.
D College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4810, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: petra.buttner@activ8.net.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 66(3) 201-213 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO18076
Submitted: 26 March 2018 Accepted: 12 December 2018 Published: 15 January 2019
Abstract
In Australia, the spectacled flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) (SFF), is listed as ‘Vulnerable’. Many juvenile SFFs come into care at the Tolga Bat Hospital, a privately funded community organisation. The aims of this study were (1) to estimate postnatal growth rates for length of forearm and body mass; (2) to describe the association between body mass and length of forearm; and (3) to develop a milk feeding chart for infant SFFs. Cross-sectional data were collected for 2680 SFFs from the 2006–07 to the 2016–17 seasons. Forearm length increased by 0.55 mm and body mass increased by 1.5 g per day. Longitudinal data were collected during the 2016–17 season for 128 SFFs. According to these data, forearm length increased by 0.71 mm and body mass increased by 3.4 g per day. Both analyses indicated exponential associations between forearm length and body mass (P < 0.001). Reasons for the differences between the cross-sectional and longitudinal results might include the negative impact of tick paralysis in the cross-sectional study and the positive effect of human care in the longitudinal study. The proposed feeding chart is based on length of forearm. This study was established in a wildlife-care facility providing a model for similar work with other wildlife species.
Additional keywords: captive management, developmental biology, diet.
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