Fruit-eating bats
Order : Chiroptera
Family : Phyllostomidae
Subfamily : Stenodermatinae
Genus : Artibeus
Animals in the genus Artibeus |
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| Jamaican fruit-eating bat |
Facts about the genus Artibeus, the fruit-eating bats
Description: The genus Artibeus is characterized by four white facial stripes, pointed ears, and soft, short fur of a dull brownish, grayish, or black silver-tinged color, and paler underparts.
Erophylla is an early phyllostomid colonist of the Greater Antilles:based on the fossil record, Artibeus is a recent colonist.
From big cities to country farms, these giant, fruit-eating bats are feeling the heat like never before.
Fruit-eating bats are essential for dispersal of seeds in tropical forests, and nectar eating bats are necessary for the pollination of countless tropical plants.
Fruit-eating bats are nature's most important seed-dispersing mammals.
Fruit-eating bats are some of the most important dispersers of tree seeds in the tropical rainforest.
Fruit-eating bats are vital to the ecosystems in which they live.
harti, as "formerly known as Artibeus harti", meaning that the name changed from Artibeus to Enchisthenes; whereas others believe that Artibeus is the new name.
Most insect eating bats have this ability while only one species of fruit eating bats are able to echolocate.
Note: field identification of bats in the Dermanura group of Artibeus is notoriously difficult.
However, Artibeus is polyestrous and usually produces 2 pregnancies per year, but is capable of producing 3 if there is no delay. (Full text)
This Artibeus is carrying a fig; when the seeds are very tiny, as in the case of figs, the bat eats the fruit, ingesting the seeds, which pass through the gut unaffected. (Full text)
Fruit-eating bats are nature's most important seed-dispersing animals. (Full text)
Protection of these fruit-eating bats is included in the park's enabling legislation. (Full text)
 Throughout the tropics, fruit-eating bats are very important in seed dispersal. (Full text)
Artibeus is less gregarious than Carollia (Ditchfield 1991) which supports our finding that no Artibeus had streblids while all Carollia did. (Full text)
