An investigation to determine whether the distribution of figs determines the distribution of batsIntroduction:Figs (Ficus spp. Moraceae) are groups of plants rich in species of tropical and subtropical nature. They are pollinated exclusively by wasps specific to the host tree (Compton et al., 1996); figs have been considered “key plant resources” in many tropical forest habitats for frugivorous animals, including fruit bats (Bleher et al., 2003 and Kalko et al., 1996). Fig trees have around 800 species distributed throughout the world, being one of the largest genera of woody plants. Ficuses are one of the most diverse groups regarding habitat selection, growth forms and life forms (Kalko et al., 1996). The fruits produced by figs constitute a primary food resource for many frugivorous mammals; these fruit-eating mammals regurgitate, defecate, spit, or otherwise drop undamaged seeds from the parent plant (Jordano, 2000). This relationship between seed dispersers and trees has formed a dynamic bond in natural communities (Jordano, 2000). Therefore frugivory is a fundamental practice in the dynamics of plant populations that are highly dependent on seed propagation by animals. However this is not always the case, recent studies on frugivores have rarely linked this dependent propagation of animals with the demographic patterns of plant populations (Jordano, 2000). Reviews of seed dispersal and frugivore ecology have shown that the majority of frugivore fruit consumption is a non-exclusive food resource, which in most cases is supplemented with animal prey. Consumption of figs by bats is approximately 28 kg dry weight per hectare per year (Kalko et al., 1996), these bats ingest large numbers of seeds and defecate them as they travel between fig trees and roosts (Kalko et al., 1996). 20% of all mammal species are bats, a number of serious threats faced over the last decade have seen these numbers decline (Mickleburgh et al., 2002). Habitat loss or modification, loss of roosting sites, and disturbance from the removal of dead trees or decaying branches have reduced the availability of potential roosting sites. These threats have reduced the range of fruit bats, especially in southern Africa (Mickleburgh et al., 2002). Bats belong to the order Chitoptera, currently there are around 950 species recognized throughout the world. Bats