Abstract
Approximately 250 of the 850 known species of bats (about 29%) are partially or wholly dependent upon plants as a source of food. These bats are involved in a mutualistic exploitation system with plants in which the bats obtain food in the form of nectar, pollen, or fruit while providing mobility for the plant’s pollen grains or seeds. Coevolutionary aspects of these bat-plant interactions are discussed in detail (Chapter 9). In this chapter I will discuss our present knowledge of the foraging strategies of plant-visiting bats and will be minimally concerned with the potential consequences of chiropteran foraging behavior on plant populations.
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Fleming, T.H. (1982). Foraging Strategies of Plant-Visiting Bats. In: Kunz, T.H. (eds) Ecology of Bats. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3421-7_8
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