Counting Flying foxes using video
This is the link to a flyout video I recorded during a large influx of Little Red Flying foxes in the Hervey Bay area in February 2010. I have videos of a number of flyouts for using to estimate numbers. How many do you estimate? The video can be found at : http://youtu.be/3RX3TX5_sTs. The original is 342 Mb . I think it has lost some detail during upload. I can provide originals for anyone with a counting programme!
Hendra Virus Solutions.
I have now published a postscript to my discussion paper " What don't you understand about snorting horses,Mr. Vet?". A copy can be viewed here on the page tittled "A Postscript to "What don't you understand about snorting Horses,Mr. Vet?"
Hendra Virus Transmission , Flying-fox to Horse.
This
is a Bat Spat
My original understanding of the relevant feeding strategy for Megabats,
was that certain food such as leaves, soft juicy fruit, and fibrous fruits is
masticated with saliva, the tongue presses the food mass against the modified
ridged palate, to squeeze out the juices for ingestion, and then the fibrous
residue is discarded. This is well described in the literature i.e. The
Australian Museum Complete Book of Australian Mammals.
I have since become informed that the fibrous residue is often discarded
as a pellet, described by one writer [referring to African megabats] as a
"rejecta pellet", and by other authors as a "spat". I
accept that the term "spat" is a good descriptive term for what I
described as a Bat Splat in my discussion paper ("What don't you understand about snorting horses,Mr Vet?", see page on this blog), and more importantly, from the
point of view of Hendra Virus Transmission, a spat does not necessarily splat
when discarded by a FF, but may stay integrated as a pellet. The Photo at the
top of the page is such a spat. It was taken under my Acerola Cherry, a shrub
that is around 3 metres high. It is the only spat I have seen. Because it is
such a spiky shrub I do not believe it is normally a favoured feed source for
Megabats since they cannot easily fly into and out of this shrub without
risking damage to their wing membrane. The Flying fox that produced this spat
was not leaving this unusually juicy food source without a second mouthful!
Locally, the leaves of the tree Albizzea
lebbecki are reported as regularly consumed by megabats, producing spats that are found
near, as well as at a distance from the trees.
Much needs to be learned about Megabat food preferences and in what circumstances,
and with what frequency, food that produces spats are consumed. It is already
known that the food preferences widen when there is a lack of reliable pollen
and nectar sources. A Megabat is more likely to be under nutritional stress
when producing a "novel food source" spat than when producing a spat
from a frequently consumed food, and these spats are therefore more likely to carry Hendra Virus!.
Update.Megabat Matters
This blog is under continual revision, so check for updates and revisions!
I have been distracted from updating this blog by several circumstances.
I was reduced to a TV watcher for some months since contracting Ross River Fever in March 2011 and still being slowed down by it.
In December 2011, I became aware that the Queensland Ombudsman had presented to parliament in November 2011, A report titled "The Hendra Virus Report. An investigation into agency responses to Hendra virus incidents between January 2006 and December 2009".
I have been reviewing the report since then. The report does not set out to provide answers or solutions to the problems but with 78 opinions and 74 recommendations about the responses of various Queensland government agencies to Hendra virus incidents between 2006 and 2009. it is a significant rescource in understanding where things have gone wrong. I have already added some 200 "sticky notes" and am only half way through reviewing the doc. which is 405 pages in total! I will publish these notes, when complete, for the ombudsman and other interested parties.
In August 2009 I published the second draft of a discussion paper on Hendra Virus and transmission scenarios, tittled "What don't you understand about snorting horses, Mr Vet." which was circulated electronically to Biosecurity ,Hendra Virus Expert Group, Queensland Health and other persons . A postscript to this discussion paper is in press. A copy is on the tittled page on this blog!
I have been distracted from updating this blog by several circumstances.
I was reduced to a TV watcher for some months since contracting Ross River Fever in March 2011 and still being slowed down by it.
In December 2011, I became aware that the Queensland Ombudsman had presented to parliament in November 2011, A report titled "The Hendra Virus Report. An investigation into agency responses to Hendra virus incidents between January 2006 and December 2009".
I have been reviewing the report since then. The report does not set out to provide answers or solutions to the problems but with 78 opinions and 74 recommendations about the responses of various Queensland government agencies to Hendra virus incidents between 2006 and 2009. it is a significant rescource in understanding where things have gone wrong. I have already added some 200 "sticky notes" and am only half way through reviewing the doc. which is 405 pages in total! I will publish these notes, when complete, for the ombudsman and other interested parties.
In August 2009 I published the second draft of a discussion paper on Hendra Virus and transmission scenarios, tittled "What don't you understand about snorting horses, Mr Vet." which was circulated electronically to Biosecurity ,Hendra Virus Expert Group, Queensland Health and other persons . A postscript to this discussion paper is in press. A copy is on the tittled page on this blog!
Megabat Art Exposition 2012
This Expo ran at gatakers Artspace in March 2012
More details found on the Megabat Art Exposition 2012 Page on this blog.
A Collaborative Multimedia Installation of Hanging Art on the theme-
“Megabats, Microbats and other Batty Creatures”
Create an Artwork in Traditional Media,
Create a Digital Image or Photographic Print,
Craft a Ceramic or other Sculptural piece of hanging art,
Make a Scare Bat, Craft a Bat Kite, a Flying Bat Model,
a Fabric Megabat, or a Wall Hanging.
Make a Life-sized Model
The "Making a Life Size Model Megabat or Microbat" page on this blog has more details.
Further information including photos for inspiration and silhouettes for model making,may be viewed in my facebook album
Megabat Photos by following this public link-
Lee St.john Carter (Facilitator) email- batwatcher1@hotmail.com Phone 41257127
Megabat Art at the Artspace, Maryborough, 2010.
The Megabat Art Exposition2010 had an extended season from December 2010 until the end of February 2011. The artists, who made bats for the Expo, produced some amazing bats and bat artworks. Photos are now published in my Facebook Album, Megabat Art Expo 2010 which can be accessed at the following link-
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.185443018156465.43937.100000723044160&type=1&l=2a87ea874f
More details of the Megabat Art Exposition 2010 and thanks to exhibitors and helpers can be found on the Megabat Art Exposition 2010 page on this blog.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.185443018156465.43937.100000723044160&type=1&l=2a87ea874f
More details of the Megabat Art Exposition 2010 and thanks to exhibitors and helpers can be found on the Megabat Art Exposition 2010 page on this blog.
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