69:. They do not hibernate and since they dislike the cold, tropical regions suit them best. Fruit bats diet includes fruit and nectar. During their Circadian flight, fruit bats gather 1.5 to 3 times their body weight in food. Certain types of fruit bats have short jaws and powerful teeth to pierce into fruit. Others have long tongues and snouts to reach pollen and nectar. They can search up to 30 mi (48 km) to find food. Some types of fruit bats can have a five-feet wing span, the largest of all bats. Other fruit bats only have a six-centimeter long wing span. All but a few types of fruit bats are nocturnal. The ones occupying the Monfort Bat Sanctuary are nocturnal. These bats are quite rare because they are killed for food. Other predators include
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circadian flight occurs right after sunset, when millions of bats fly out of the cave to find food. There are informational tours that bring visitors to the sanctuary. It is estimated about 400 students visit daily. It's also possible to visit after sunset, starting at 18:00, but only by appointment, and in maximum groups of six persons.
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The
Monfort Bat Colony, located in the Monfort Cave on the Samal Island in Mindanao, Philippines, is the largest colony of Geoffrey's Rousette Fruit Bat (Rousetteus amplexicaudatus)". As per an estimate from Bat Conservation International in 2006, the population in the Monfort cave was approximately
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With such an abundant amount of fruit bats, visitors can get an up close look from outside any of the five entrances. Visitors cannot enter because any disturbance can cause panic to the bats. Late afternoon is suggested to be the best time to visit because of the daily circadian flight. The
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The Iñigo-Monfort family has maintained the area since the 1900s. Norma
Monfort is the current owner of the 57 acres of land, including its 1.8 million
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Reasons to Visit the
Amazing Monfort Bat Sanctuary, Samal Island. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2012, from TripSiders.com website:
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85:. Usually fruit bats can survive these creature attacks. Their major predators are feral dogs and cats, which increases the risks of
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https://archive.today/20130415181241/http://philippinebatconservation.org/our-partners/monfort-bat-cave-and-conservation-foundation/
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Reasons to Visit the
Amazing Monfort Bat Sanctuary, Samal Island. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2012, from TripSiders.com website:
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About Fruit Bats. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 11, 2012, from ALL ABOUT BATS website:
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191:"Largest colony of Geoffrey's Rousette Fruit Bat (Rousetteus amplexicaudatus)"
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248:"About TripSiders | PHILIPPINE OUTDOOR TRAVEL | TRIPSIDERS"
129:"About TripSiders | PHILIPPINE OUTDOOR TRAVEL | TRIPSIDERS"
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are an extremely popular type of bat that can also be called
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One of the five cave entrances at the
Monfort Bat Sanctuary
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has been the house of a large colony of 2.3 million
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https://www.samalguide.com/activities/monfort-bat-cave/
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158:Locke, R (2006). "A Treasure Trove of Fruit Bats".
65:. The bats originate from tropical regions of the
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235:http://www.about-bats.com/fruit-bats.html
162:. Vol. 24, no. 4. pp. 1–7.
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300:Caves of the Philippines
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40:Samal Island
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200:December 7,
105:Sightseeing
294:Categories
258:2012-12-17
139:2012-12-17
114:References
99:fruit bats
59:Fruit bats
54:Fruit bats
44:Davao City
67:Old World
315:Megabats
63:megabats
83:lizards
79:pythons
87:rabies
81:, and
34:since
93:Owner
71:crows
202:2012
75:rats
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