PLANT AND BAT INTERACTIONS IN WEST AFRICA' EDWARD S. AYENSU" ABSTRACT One of the most dramatic plant and animal relationships in the West African ccosystem is that which takes place between such frugivorus bats as Epomophorus gambianus and Eido-lon helvum and the introduced neem tree, Azadirachta indica. While earlier studies on bat behavior were carried out by personal observation and ordinary photographic means, recently developed night vision equipment bas allowed the author to make nocturnal observations pre-viously not possible. New observations, using this equipment, have now been made on bats and their interaction with trees of the following species: Mangifera indica, Anacardium oc-cidentale, Ficus umbellata, Psidiirm guaiava, Carica papaya, Kigelia africana, Spathodea camp-anulata, Parkia clappertoniana, Ceiba pentandra, and Adansonia digitata. Observations are reported on the roosting characteristics of bats of the genus Epomophorus. The effect of feed-ing by bats on the fruits of varions trees and the resulting dispersal of seeds on the coastal savannah-grassland, (Accra Plains) of Ghana, are discussed. The effect of introduced plants on the bat population and disadvantages to the West African ecosystem which are attributable to the plant and bat interactions are summiarized. Throughout the history of human societies bats have had an unchallenged notoriety in the realm of superstition and mythology. As the only known flying mammals, bats have for centuries been associated with varions mysterious noc-turnal activities. The Chinese are perhaps the only people who consider bats as objects of good luck and happiness. The Chinese word for bat is fu which signi-fies happiness (Allen, 1962). In many primitive societies bats have been as-sociated with the dead, who are believed to possess souls that have the ability to fly freely at night when the living arc asleep. In West Africa as well as in other regions of the world, several mythical stories about bats have been handed down from one generation to the next. Even today supersttitious stories about bats are told to children. Bats are considered sinister, and their unexpected nightly visi-tations are believed to be signs of ill omen in some societies. It is not unusual, therefore, that bats are looked upon from various perspec-tives in West Africa (Fig. 1). They are considered by many as animais withsupernatural powers which should be avoided at ail cost, especially at night be-cause of their purported evil intentions. The West African Moslems, for example,place bats in the same category as pigs, because they are considered unclean;their peculiar roosting position is thought to make it easy for them to urinateon themselves. It should be noted that the Egyptians used sketches of bats as asymbol of a nursing mother, "for it is the only flying creature that ias teeth andtwo nipples and nurtures its young with care" (Allen, 1962: 2). In southwestGhana (Fig. 2) some of the people of Half Assini use the bat as the tribal totem.The clan therefore is forbidden to eat bats. Since bats often live near areas of 'I am most grateful to Drs. Henry Setzer, Thomas R. Soderstrom, and )on E. Wilsonfor stimulating discussions and for reviewing this manuscript. I also wish to thank Miss AliceR. Tangerini for the skillful preparation of the skull illustrations. Mr. John B. Hall, Universityof ;hana, was most helpful with the location of bat roosts in and aronnd the Legon campus,and Mr. A. A. Enti for his assistance on the Accra Plains. '' )epartment of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D).C. 20560.AN,. MIssoURI BOT. (ARD. 61: 702-727. 197-1.
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