Population Estimates of Fruit Bats (Pteropus mariannus) in the Mariana Islands

Abstract: Populations of Marianas fruit bats, Pteropus mariannus, were surveyed on each of the 15 Mariana Islands in 1983–1984. It is estimated that a minimum of 8,700–9,000 fruit bats occur in the archipelago, with about 8245% of these bats found on the nine northernmost and largely uninhabited islands. The islands of Anatahan, Pagan, and Agrihan had the largest populations, with minimum population estimates of 3,000, 2,500, and 1,000 bats, respectively. Smaller populations of about 400–1,000 fruit bats occurred on Asuncion, Guam, Rota, and Guam. The remaining is-ands in the archipelago were each estimated to have fewer than 125 bats. Population densities of fruit bats were highest on islands with little bunting but were generally much lower on human-inhabited islands where bunting was common. Quantity and quality of existing habitat were other important factors regulating the size of fruit bat populations in the Marianas. Increased enforcement of existing laws protecting bats and a public awareness program are important tasks needed to conserve and manage fmit bats in the Marianu Islands. The census techniques used in this study may be applicable to other fypes of colonial, mobile wildlife that inhabit islands.