My study species the Jamaican fruit bat

Let me start by introducing my study species the Jamaican fruit bat

Scientific name: Artibeus jamaicensis (above).

These 'little' guys are in fact rather large for bats weighing around 40 grams (about 1.4 ounces roughly equivalent to a small packet of jello from your supermarket). Indeed, most bats at least in the Americas are fairly small (weighing less than an ounce which is about how much 5 US quarters weigh) and eat insects.

Artibeus however are frugivores (eat fruit) and in particular seem to prefer figs over all other fruits. This may be in part because figs (plant genus Ficus) tend to be particularly abundant where these bats live. Regardless, because they are fairly big and rely on a diet that does not provide them with a lot of protein (imagine if you were to only eat fruits and vegetables without the occasional meat or nuts) they have to eat a lot. Additionally flying takes a lot of energy so the need for food is greater still.

So to deal with their voracious appetite these bats grab entire fruits and fly somewhere nearby (a tree branch works well) and while hanging upside down they squeeze the fruit in their strong jaws and squeeze the fruit to drink the juice and the remaining pulp is dropped. Indeed Jamaican fruit bats have some of the strongest jaw muscles of bats their size because of their diet. This dietary strategy provides a fairly efficient way for them to digest the 'good stuff' in their food with minimal effort.

More to come about these lovely bats and what I am trying to research.... please come back to learn more!