How do tropical bats pollinate flowers, and what adaptations do they have for doing this?

Question

How do tropical bats pollinate flowers, and what adaptations do they have for doing this?

Answer 1

Most bat species that pollinate flowers inhabit Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, although bat pollination occurs over a geographically wide range. Many fruits are dependent on bats for pollination, such as mangoes, bananas, and guavas. Bat pollination is an integral process in tropical communities with 500 tropical plant species completely, or partially, dependent on bats for pollination . Also, it has been noted that outcrossing (introducing unrelated genetic material into a breeding line) by bats increases genetic diversity and is important in tropical communities.

Plants pollinated by bats often have white or pale nocturnal flowers that are large and bell shaped. Many of these flowers have large amounts of nectar, and emit a smell that attracts bats, such as a strong fruity or musky odor. Bats use certain chemical cues to locate food sources. They are attracted to odors that contain esters, alcohols, aldehydes, and aliphatic acids.

The banana bat (Musonycteris harrisoni) is a nectarivorous species found only on the Pacific coast of Mexico. It has a very small geographic range and is distinguishable by its extremely long nose. The long snout and tongue, one toungue recorded as measuring 76mm, allows this bat to feed on the nectar of long tubular flowers. This bat species is small, with the head and body length ranging from 70 to 79mm. The wild banana flower is elongated with a purple color.

Answer 2

Tropical bats can sometimes rub up against a plant and fly to another one, touch it and pollinate it.

also they could eat some of the flowers and p**p it out onto other plants and fertilize it

adaptions: first one is fur/large wings

               second is healhty digestive system and fertile p**p

Answer 3

Tropical bats pollinate flowers in much the same way bees do - they fly from plant to plant eating the nectar and as they fly from plant to plant they deposit pollen which fertilizes the flowers of the plants allowing them to reproduce.  Adaptations are the specialized feeding mouth parts they have that allow them to get to the nectar.