Tooth wear, body mass index and management options for edentulous black flying-foxes (Pteropus alecto Gould) in the Townsville district, north Queensland, Australia.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the relationship between a body mass index and tooth wear in the black flying-fox (Pteropus alecto Gould) to provide guidance on management of edentulous individuals by wildlife carers and veterinarians.

METHODS

Flying-foxes brought into care because of injury were weighed, their forearms measured and the state of their teeth evaluated. Measurements were analysed by Chi-square, ANOVA, t-tests and regression to identify any relationship between the body mass index and the condition of canine and molar teeth, as well as in relation to sex and season.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant relationship between a bat's dentition state and the body mass index being used.

CONCLUSIONS

In Townsville, the black flying-fox appears to experience a rapid decline in dental condition over time. Despite this, there is little indication that loss of teeth results in a decline in body condition. We attribute this to the dominance of floral foods in the bats' diet in Townsville and a lesser importance of hard fruit that requires intact dentition for consumption. Edentulousness on its own is not sufficient reason to euthanase black flying-foxes in either Townsville or similar relatively dry localities where blossom dominates the flying-fox diet.