Contributions to Zoology, 78 (2) 51-64 (2009) Variation in the nocturnal foraging distribution of and resource use by endangered Ryukyu flying foxes(Pteropus dasymallus) on Iriomotejima Island, Japan Ya-Fu Lee1, 4, Tokushiro Takaso2, 5, Tzen-Yuh Chiang1, 6, Yen-Min Kuo1, 7, Nozomi Nakanishi2, 8, Hsy-Yu Tzeng3, 9, Keiko Yasuda2 1 Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Biodiversity, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan 2 The Iriomote Project, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 671 Iriomote, Takatomi-cho, Okinawa 907- 1542, Japan 3 Hengchun Research Center, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Pingtung 946, Taiwan 4 E-mail:
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[email protected] Key words: abundance, bats, Chiroptera, diet, figs, frugivores, habitat Abstract Contents The nocturnal distribution and resource use by Ryukyu flying foxes Introduction ........................................................................................ 51 was studied along 28 transects, covering five types of habitats, on Material and methods ........................................................................ 53 Iriomote Island, Japan, from early June to late September, 2005. Study sites ..................................................................................... 53 Bats were mostly encountered solitarily (66.8%) or in pairs (16.8%), Bat and habitat census ................................................................