On the distribution of the Egyptian Fruit Bat Rousettus aegyptiacus in Saudi Arabia (Mammalia: Chiroptera)
Abstract
New records of the Egyptian Fruit Bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) from 14 sites situated in the north-western part of Saudi Arabia interconnect the previously known parts of the distributon range of this bat in Arabia and suggest its continuous occurrence in a belt of coastal regions and the Hijaz Mountains along the Red Sea. These data indicate that the fruit bats can occur in very small spots of fertile environment surrounded by arid rocks and deserts and use them as foraging and roosting habitats.
The occurrence of R. aegyptiacus was also confirmed in most of the sites where it was suggested pre- viously. The occurrence in Hail represents the most remote spot of the fruit bat presence in the Arabian Desert, situated more than 500 km from the closest seashore, and around 315 km from the closest locality of R. aegyptiacus reported previously.
We consider this occurrence an overlooked but traditional part of R. aegyptiacus distribu- tion, connected with the broad use of the Date Palms grown in the area continuously since antiquity.