ECOMORPHOLOGY OF THE TONGUES OF AUSTRALIAN MEGACHIROPTERA (CHIROPTERA, PTEROPODIDAE)

The tongues of six species of Australian megachiropterans were studied macroscopically and microscopically to observe whether there were any morphological characteristics correlating with their foraging and fee ding behaviour. Tongues varied from being extensible and brush-like (w ith long hair-like papillae) in Syconycteris australis, to club-like ( with very few types of papillae) in Nyctimene robinsoni, to long-point ed (possessing several types of surface papillae) in the Pteropus spec ies. The morphology of the tongue of S. australis and the Pteropus spe cies was similar to that of nectar-feeding birds, marsupials and other mammals. N. robinsoni possessed a tongue highly structured for proces sing the fruit on which it feeds, whilst the tongue of the S. australi s and P. scapulatus was highly structured for a diet predominantly mad e up of nectar. Although the surface papillae were similar among P. po liocephalus, P. alecto and P. conspicillatus, the shape of the tongue varied considerably, suggesting that there may be subtle differences b etween individual feeding strategies. The morphology of the tongues in this study, combined with field observations, suggest that many megac hiropterans are able to consume different food types when their prefer red food source is unavailable. In addition, the structure of tongue a nd its papillae support the role of megachiropterans in both pollinati on and seed dispersal.