University of South Florida Digital Commons @ University of South Florida USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications USF Faculty Publications 2012 University of South Florida St. Petersburg Student Research Journal, Vol. 1, Issue 1, article 5 : Geometric Probability of Mating Success for the Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus sphinx Krista Ford Leon Hardy
[email protected] Deby L. Cassill
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications Part of the Biology Commons Recommended Citation Ford, Krista; Hardy, Leon; and Cassill, Deby L., "University of South Florida St. Petersburg Student Research Journal, Vol. 1, Issue 1, article 5 : Geometric Probability of Mating Success for the Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus sphinx" (2012). USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications. 1025. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications/1025 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the USF Faculty Publications at Digital Commons @ University of South Florida. It has been accepted for inclusion in USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ University of South Florida. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Geometric Probability of Mating ABSTRACT Success for the Greater Short-nosed In the bat Cynopterus sphinx, the random probability of mating success was calculated to be 4%. A combination of several Fruit Bat, adaptations dramatically increases their mating success to nearly 100%. First, the male and female hang upside down in a Cynopterus sphinx front-to-back mount. From behind, the male positions his penis dorsoventral toward the female’s genitalia. The male maintains a tight hold on the female by biting the scruff on her neck and by holding her wings with his thumbs, allowing the pair to By Krista Ford, Leon Hardy, and Deby Cassill move forwards and backwards uninterruptedly and College of Arts and Sciences rhythmically.