Volume 11, Issue 4, Winter 1993
ON THE COVER

Mariana fruit bats (Pteropus mariannus) are the last flying foxes on the island of Guam, and they too are endangered. This one is eagerly feeding on the pollen of a Freycinetia inflorescence (Freycinetia reinecki), a liana plant heavily dependent upon flying fox pollination. The plant in turn rewards the bats with fleshy, edible bracts as well as copious amounts of highly nutritious pollen containing 18 amino acids. Unlike many flowers, these produce no nectar. Pollen is carried from flower to flower on the bat's fur.
As many as 40 percent of the tree species on Guam rely on these bats for pollination or seed dispersal. The one remaining colony has been protected for many years on lands occupied by an American air force base, now proposed as a national wildlife refuge (see story, page 14).
Photo by Merlin D. Tuttle
All articles in this issue:

ON THE COVER
A New Beginning for an Old Mine
Bats 101: High School Students and Field Research
Tips on Establishing Research Partnerships Between Schools and Wildlife Agencies
Folklore and the Origin of Bats
Guam National Wildlife Refuge Under Fire
Motorola Supports Bat House Research Project
BCI Helps Protect Pennsylvania Mine for Bats
BCI-Sponsored Education Campaign in Mexico Leads to Cave Protection
Annual Report Available
WISH LIST. 1993
Look for "Masters of the Night: The True Story of Bats"
GET INVOLVED! MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES FOR 1994
Even vampires can be cute

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