🦇 Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx) – The Night Gardener of the Sundarbans

The Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx) is a medium-sized megabat known for its crucial role in pollination and seed dispersal. Found widely across South and Southeast Asia, this frugivorous bat is especially important in maintaining the ecological balance of tropical forests and mangrove ecosystems like the Sundarbans. Let’s explore the fascinating details of this nocturnal marvel.

📚 Taxonomy

• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Chordata

• Class: Mammalia

• Order: Chiroptera

• Family: Pteropodidae

• Genus: Cynopterus

• Species: C. sphinx

• Common Name: Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat

🦇 Morphology & Physical Characteristics

• Size: Forearm length ranges from 65–85 mm

• Wingspan: Approximately 48–60 cm

• Weight: About 40–60 grams

• Fur Color: Typically brownish to reddish-brown with a paler underside

• Distinctive Features:

  • Short, broad snout – hence the name

  • Large eyes and well-developed sense of smell and sight

  • Males may have orange collars of fur, especially during mating season

  • Short ears and dog-like face typical of megabats

🌳 Habitat & Distribution

• Widely distributed across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and southern China

• Inhabits tropical and subtropical forests, urban gardens, orchards, caves, and temples

• In the Sundarbans, they are found roosting in dense foliage, abandoned buildings, and hollow trees

🌟 Special Features & Behavior

🍉 Fruit-loving Forager

• Diet primarily includes fruits like guava, banana, mango, figs, and dates

• Also feeds on nectar, flowers, and occasionally leaves

🌸 Pollinator & Seed Disperser

• Plays a vital role in pollination and dispersing seeds, especially of night-blooming and wild fruit trees

• Considered a “keystone species” due to its ecological role

🛖 Tent-maker Bat

• Known for creating “leaf tents” by chewing and folding large leaves of banana, palm, or other broad-leaved plants for roosting

• These temporary shelters protect them from predators and harsh weather

🌙 Nocturnal & Social

• Highly social species; lives in small colonies often led by a dominant male

• Active after dusk, it navigates with sharp vision and sense of smell, unlike echolocating microbats

🌿 Presence in the Sundarbans

In the Sundarbans, the Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat is an unsung hero of the ecosystem. Its role in dispersing seeds of mangrove and fruiting trees supports forest regeneration, especially in areas prone to tidal erosion.

✅ Importance in Sundarbans:

• Pollinates wild flora and promotes natural reforestation

• Helps spread diverse plant species, maintaining habitat health for other animals

• Can be spotted in the fringes of human settlements within the Sundarban buffer zones

⚠️ Threats:

• Habitat loss due to deforestation and urban expansion

• Negative perception as pests in orchards leads to killing and disturbance

• Climate change impacts altering fruiting patterns and flowering seasons

Educating communities about their ecological importance is key to the long-term conservation of bats in the Sundarbans.

🚨 Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern – due to wide distribution and stable population

• However, local threats and misconceptions could affect populations in specific regions

The Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat may not grab headlines like the Royal Bengal Tiger, but it is a critical player in maintaining the biodiversity of the Sundarbans. Known as the night gardener, this gentle creature contributes silently to the health and survival of the mangrove forests and beyond.

💡 Credit Note

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Learn more about the Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat on Wikipedia.