What does Salim Ali's fruit bat look like?
Salim Ali's fruit bat, also known as broad-toothed fruit bat is called so because it has a unique extra set of "broad teeth". The bat has a distinctive dog-like snout which help it smell ripe fruit and large, expressive eyes which it uses to see in the dark.
What is their role in the environment?
Salim Ali's fruit bats are messy eaters, they consume the pulp and drop half-eaten fruit and seeds on the forest floor. Thus, they play a crucial role as pollinators as the seeds they drop grow the next generation of trees.
What was the issue with the identification of Salim Ali's fruit bat?
Salim Ali's fruit bat was first observed in 1948 but remained misidentified for decades. It was formally described as a new species in 1972 but vanished and was feared extinct for almost 20 years before being rediscovered in the 1990s, making it one of the three rarest bats in the world. It is the only species in its genus, as it rests on a unique branch of the evolutionary tree.
What is the conservation status of Salim ali's fruit bat? What threats does the population face?
The Salim Ali fruit bat is endangered as per the IUCN Red List. Deforestation and granite quarrying have led to habitat fragmentation and cause a threat to their population.
What does Salim Ali's fruit bat eat?
Salim Ali's fruit bat primarily eats and prefers figs.
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