Field studies on the African fruit bat Epomophorus wahlbergi (Sundevall), with special reference to male calling

Social interactions, site attachment and group cohesion were studied in a free-living colony of Epomophorus fruit bats. Daily activites in an undisturbed colony were recorded. Special attention was paid to the peculiar calling behavior of courting male during the night. Structure and repetition rate of their sounds were analyzed in the laboratory. A special mode of acoustic interaction was found and related to the observed spacing out of calling males. By following feeding animals in the field and by analysis of their faeces we found that besides fruits they eat special leaves which afford steroidal sapogenins.