Wing morphology and flight development in the short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx

Abstract

Postnatal changes in wing morphology, flight development and aerodynamics were studied in captive free-flying short-nosed fruit bats, Cynopterus sphinx. Pups were reluctant to move until 25 days of age and started fluttering at the mean age of 40 days. The wingspan and wing area increased linearly until 45 days of age by which time the young bats exhibited clumsy flight with gentle turns. At birth, C. sphinx had less-developed handwings compared to armwings; however, the handwing developed faster than the armwing during the postnatal period. Young bats achieved sustained flight at 55 days of age. Wing loading decreased linearly until 35 days of age and thereafter increased to a maximum of 12.82 N m^-2 at 125 days of age. The logistic equation fitted the postnatal changes in wingspan and wing area better than the Gompertz and von Bertalanffy equations. The predicted minimum power speed (V_mp) and maximum range speed (V_mr) decreased until the onset of flight and thereafter the V_mp and V_mr increased linearly and approached 96.2% and 96.4%, respectively, of the speed of postpartum females at the age of 125 days. The requirement of minimum flight power (P_mp) and maximum range power (P_mr) increased until 85 days of age and thereafter stabilised. The minimum theoretical radius of banked turn (r_min) decreased until 35 days of age and thereafter increased linearly and attained 86.5% of the r_min of postpartum females at the age of 125 days.