The Food Web Involving the Tropical Fruit Bat

Overview of Tropical Food Webs

• The food web of the rain forest is essentially a network of interconnected food chains. Occupying the lowest level are plants and other vegetation. Small herbivores and insects feed on these plants; they, in turn, provide a food supply for small mammals. The complexity of the network means that many species, such as chimps and monkeys, occupy a central part of the food web, in that they are both predator and prey.

Fruit Bat as Prey

• Fruit bats are preyed upon by larger, carnivorous and omnivorous tropical species, such as primates. Because of the mechanism of the food web, their predators also benefit from the nutrients ingested by lower-level species. Indirectly, fruit bats provide a food supply for even larger mammals, like jaguars, which prey on smaller animals that have consumed fruit bats.

Fruit Bat as Predator

• Tropical fruit bats, unlike other bat species, are herbivorous, feeding on fruits, seeds and other plant matter. They're most strongly drawn to sweet, branch-hung fruits like mangoes or almendro fruit. They also feed on floral nectar. Within the food web, they help keep these plant species in check.

Ecological Role

• One of the fruit bat's most important roles with respect to the food web is its inadvertent transference of fruit seeds. As the bats ingest fruit, they help disperse the seeds throughout the ecosystem. This includes seeds that are not normally transported by wind or other natural mechanisms. As the seeds take root and grow into plants, they provide food and habitats for other species, which further bolsters the dynamics of the food web.