Care Guide Reference

Egyptian Fruit Bats
Rousettus aegyptiacus
from Southern, Western, and Eastern Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, and Cypress

Common name: Egyptian Fruit Bat

Scientific or Latin name: Rousettus aegyptiacus

Class: Mammalia. Order: Chiroptera. Family: Pteropodidae.

Genus: Rousettus. Species: aegyptiacus.

For the Egyptian Fruit bat to thrive successfully in captivity, it is vital that their natural habitat is understood as much as possible, as this provides a good indicator of what needs have to be met. Although they encounter variables in the wild, certain aspects of their captive environment are vital for their long term health and happiness, and the goal should be to maximize their ability to express their natural behaviour.

The natural environment for Egyptian Fruit Bats.

The Egyptian Fruit bat is a medium sized fruit bat (megabat) that originates from Southern, Western, and Eastern Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, and Cypress, There are three subspecies R. a. aegyptiacus, found in North Africa, Cypress and the Middle East; R. a. Leachi, from Eastern and Southern Africa; and R. a. Occidentalis, from Western Africa. However, they only occur where there are suitable caves for roosting and freedom from human disturbance. In the wild it chooses to roost in caves, burial tombs and pyramids, in mass colonies, where they crowd close together.

Their diet in the wild consists of a huge variety of fruits of tropical shrubs and trees, and are known to fly vast distances to find ripe fruit in season particularly ripe figs. They also drink the nectar of flowers and will occasionally consume the insects that are on the fruit.

Egyptian Fruit bats usually have only one baby each year, although twins have been recorded. The mother bats carry their young at first, then leave them at the roosts while they hunt for fruit. Babies are about 3 months old before they learn to fly on their own. Young ones stay in the same colony as their parents for most, if not all, of their lives. Their lifespan is generally around 20 years, although up to 30 has been recorded.

Egyptian Fruit Bats are unique in that they are the only type of fruit bat that uses echolocation, and also it is the only type of echolocation that is audible to the human ear. Instead of the high frequency noises used by insect eating bats (microbats), they make a clicking noise with their tongue, which produces a clicking noise with frequencies between ten and sixty kHz. This is only used when they need to navigate in situations where using their eyesight is not possible, such as very dark caves.

The captive environment for Egyptian Fruit Bats

Enclosure

For these bats to thrive in captivity, their enclosure must be able to meet certain criteria.

Firstly, it must be of a size that enables the bats to fly around freely, without risk of injury. It must be at least 9 ft high and a minimum of 6ft X 6ft wide, although for a colony larger than 4 bats, more space is required. For this to be achieved, a dedicated room is preferable, although an indoor aviary can be utilised, as long as it is free of draughts, and the wire mesh is plastic coated and a thick gauge.

The enclosure will need to be maintained at a temperature of between 80 and 90 degrees, and no sudden drops in temperature. It is preferable for there to be a thermal gradient so as the bats can seek out their preferred temperature. Although the bats can huddle and shiver for warmth, or fan themselves with their wings to cool down, a prolonged exposure to incorrect temperatures can cause severe health problems. Although some air circulation is necessary to avoid the air becoming stagnant, draughts must be avoided.

A cave/roost area is essential that is free from light, and large enough for the bats to enter and leave freely. This will be used for much of the day and should have many surfaces that the bats can adequately hang from. This can be bark, ropes etc. This area must enable the bats to have a feeling of privacy and security.

The main enclosure should allow the bats access to natural sunlight, which allows them to facilitate their natural roosting habits. The ceiling of the main enclosure must provide many opportunities for roosting and perching, such as ropes and vines, as they require these for mental stimulation, as well as allowing them a place to hang while they eat. This complexity encourages foraging, scent-marking, hiding, and facilitates social play. These must be hung in a way that the bats are able to hang at a height that is at least 6 ft from the floor of the enclosure, so as to allow a sufficient drop when they need to fly off. There should also be a provision for the bats to climb up from the floor, as many cannot take off once they have landed to eat the fruit that has been dropped. The floor should be covered in a material that allows for regular cleaning, such as vinyl as bats produce a lot of waste, that can be smelly and toxic if allowed to build up.

Diet

As in the wild, it is essential they have access to a plentiful supply of fruit. There are many types of fruits that they eat, such as Figs, Dates, Paw Paw, Mango, Banana, Melons, Sharon Fruit, Strawberries, Apples etc. The fruit needs to be soft as the bats suck out the pulp and discard the peel, seeds and fibrous parts. A wide variety needs to be provided every day. They can eat their own body weight each day in fruit, which in a healthy adult bat is around 6oz. They also like to be given lorikeet nectar and honey as an occasional treat. Fresh water should be provided in the form of a large shallow dish on the floor of the enclosure, with a water depth of no more than 2 inches. This also allows the enclosure to maintain the essential amount of humidity required to prevent their wings from drying out.