Large fruit bat colony reported near Ponmudi Dam in Idukki

A large colony of fruit bats roosts in the Marakkanam forest near the catchment area of Ponmudi Dam in Idukki district. The forest is within the limits of Konnathady panchayat. The bats hang from the branches of tall trees during the day and leave at night to forage.

A local environmental organisation’s district general secretary has reported studying the colony for about 20 years. He estimated that its numbers have grown from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. He said the bats forage as far as 25 kilometres away and return before daylight. Fruit bats help disperse seeds, while some species also assist pollination.

Notable Points

• Megabats and seed dispersal: Some megabat seeds remain in the gut for more than 12 hours, which can increase dispersal distance. Megabat dispersal is limited to plants with seeds under 4 millimetres long because larger seeds are not ingested.