Northern blossom bat, Honey nectar bat, Least blossom-bat, Dagger-toothed long-nosed fruit bat, Lesser long-tongued fruit bat, Lesser
The long-tongued nectar bat (Macroglossus minimus ), also known as the northern blossom bat, honey nectar bat, least blossom-bat, dagger-toothed long-nosed fruit bat, and lesser long-tongued fruit bat, is a species of megabat. M. minimus is one of the smallest species in the family Pteropodidae, with an average length of 60–85 mm. It has a reddish-brown colouring with relatively long hair compared to the other species. The hair on the abdomen is a lighter colour, and a dark brown stripe runs bilaterally down the top of the head and back.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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NectarivoreIn zoology, a nectarivore is an animal that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of the sugar-...
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PalynivoreIn zoology, a palynivore is an herbivorous animal that selectively eats the nutrient-rich pollen produced by angiosperms and gymnosperms. Most true...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Long-tongued nectar bat is a species of megabat. It is one of the smallest species in its family. It has a reddish-brown colouring with relatively long hair compared to the other species. The hair on the abdomen is a lighter colour, and a dark brown stripe runs bilaterally down the top of the head and back.
Long-tongued nectar bats are found in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Philippines, Java, Borneo, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and northern Australia. In Borneo, they occur in Kota Kinabalu, Sepilok, Sukau, and Tawau in Sabah; Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei; Bario, Niah, and Bako in Sarawak; Gunung Kenepi, Kutai, and Sungai Tengah in Kalimantan. These bats live in the tropical moist forest. They also inhabit mangroves and swamp forest, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas.
Long-tongued nectar bats have not been recorded in flocks; it is suggested that they live in small groups or alone. They may roost under roofs, in rolled leaves, in the ground plants or trees, or under tree branches. Long-tongued nectar bats are active both during day or night but prefer to forage at dusk. When foraging, these bats land on or near a flower and with the help of their long tongue extract nectar or pollen from the flower. They don't use echolocation to locate their food. As they have big eyes, they find it visually.
Long-tongued nectar bats are frugivores (nectarivores, palynivores). They feed on nectar and pollen, which they can obtain from mangroves and banana flowers. They may also drink the juices of soft fruit.
Little is known about the mating system in Long-tongued nectar bats. They breed throughout the year and females have a breeding period of 140 to 160 days. They give birth to a single pup two or three times per year. The gestation period lasts around 120 days. The mother nurses her pup for 60-70 days. Females in this species become reproductively mature at around 10 months after birth.
There are no major threats to Long-tongued nectar bats at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Long-tongued nectar bat total population size. This animal is common and widespread throughout its known range. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Long-tongued nectar bats play a major role as pollinators of many local trees and are very important in sustaining their rainforest habitat.
