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So what are your other interests? |
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Peter
Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 310 |
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Posted: 11 Jul 2008 at 4:27am |
Some info re the species;
Common name: Egyptian Fruit Bat Habitat and natural range: Rousettus aegyptiacus is found in Southern, Western, and Eastern Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, and Cypress, There are three subspecies R. a. aegyptiacus, found in North Africa, Cypress and the Middle East; R. a. Leachi, from Eastern and Soutthern Africa; and R. a. Occidentalis, from Western Africa. However, they only occur where there are suitable caves for roosting and freedom from human disturbance. |
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BLF Dragonscapes Habitats officer
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation e: peter.hill@arc-trust.org |
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Peter
Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 310 |
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Forgot to say that they are unique amongst fruit bats in that they do use echo location to a degree.
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BLF Dragonscapes Habitats officer
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation e: peter.hill@arc-trust.org |
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Peter
Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 310 |
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Paul, the Egyptian or Dog faced bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is one of the smallest if not the smallest fruit bat species, the larger males body size being approximately that of a female domestic rat. All of mine take food from the hand, and those bred here are tamer again, often landing on me to take food (they find pears irresistable). The original animals have grown steadily calmer around me as the group has grown in size.
I got mine from a private breeder who wanted to make room for something else. Wildlife parks commonly have them, I know Longleat has a sizeable colony. They are controlled by CITES.
Tony, do you have any pics of your epualetted? Would love to see them if so. Yes I can vouch that this species are also very gentle and timid (with humans) there is plenty of bickering amongst them as a group though. |
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BLF Dragonscapes Habitats officer
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation e: peter.hill@arc-trust.org |
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*SNAKE*
Senior Member Joined: 16 May 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 226 |
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are they smaller than the fruit bats Ive seen on TV ( the flying fox ) more black in colour and what about there temperament can you handle them where can you buy them |
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PAUL SMITH
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Peter
Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 310 |
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Hi Paul, Warmth, space, a wide variety of fruit, a choice of suitable roosting spots and some company are the main requisites. Other than that and the obvious routine cleaning below the roosts, they are pretty much left to their own devices. |
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BLF Dragonscapes Habitats officer
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation e: peter.hill@arc-trust.org |
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*SNAKE*
Senior Member Joined: 16 May 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 226 |
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hi peter love the bats are they hard to keep |
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PAUL SMITH
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Peter
Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 310 |
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Glad you like the bats Tim. They are fascinating to watch. As a group the social interaction is totally absorbing. As the group has grown in size, so the behaviour observations have increased. They seem to have relaxed and behave in what I percieve to be a more natural manner than when the group was smaller. Apparently this species roosts in groups of a minimum of 50 animals up to 1000 or more individuals, so it would definately seem to be a case of the more the merrier as far as they are concerned.
Gram Parsons is played regularly in this house. His appearance on the Byrds album "Sweet Heart of the Rodeo" made it their best album by a mile in my opinion. Edited by Peter |
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BLF Dragonscapes Habitats officer
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation e: peter.hill@arc-trust.org |
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tim hamlett
Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1062 |
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peter those bats really are very very cute. gram parsons was me. what a shame he died so young. tim |
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Peter
Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 310 |
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I`ve enjoyed reading through this lot, interesting to see how many of us have "conflicting" interests.
Music wise, I like something of everything as long as it isn`t meatloaf. Listening to that would be like torture to me. Did I see a Gram Parsons fan somewhere in the backlog or is that just my imagination? Gemma, I saw the Mission a few times long ago also.
I`m also into bikes but prefer your more classic style cruisers, not the fast bikes with fairings (spelt wrong no doubt) so a bit of a poser really I suppose! I also have had a life long interest in as well as a 7 year stab at self sufficiency and survival bushcraft type stuff, but my most passionate interest is the natural world. I have a few "unusual" animals such as my colony of Egyptian Fruit bats. I`ve also bred a few species of dart frogs in the past. The fruit bats bred four young this year. Here`s a few pics of some of the group;
...and one of the babies from last year, the photo was quickly snapped whilst it`s mother was feeding and left the youngster at the roost. I passed my fingers gently across it`s toes and it took hold;
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BLF Dragonscapes Habitats officer
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation e: peter.hill@arc-trust.org |
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dave fixx
Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 411 |
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Its an awesome sight but I m yet to catch the airbus super jumbo on one of its rare flyovers.
@ Tim Im sure it will be named after the whale. |
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Dave Williams
davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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