RADIOGRAPHIC CARDIAC SILHOUETTE MEASUREMENT IN CAPTIVE LIVINGSTONE'S FRUIT BATS (PTEROPUS LIVINGSTONII).

Cardiomyopathies have been increasingly noted in the captive population of Livingstone's fruit bat ( Pteropus livingstonii ). The aim of this study was to produce a set of repeatable quantitative reference measurements that could be used to assess the cardiac size during radiographic examination of this species. Ventro-dorsal and lateral radiographs (n = 129) from a total of 42 individual Livingstone's fruit bats were examined.