Ocular parameters in a captive colony of fruit bats.

Objectives: To establish normal reference ranges of ocular parameters including phenol read thread, palpebral fissure length, horizontal and vertical corneal diameter, upright and hanging intraocular pressure (IOP) and to report ophthalmic examination findings of the anterior segment and lens, in a population of captive fruit bats.

Animals Studied: Eyes of 30 bats of three species were included in this study: 10 (5 males, 5 females) Malayan Flying Foxes (Pteropus vampyrus), 10 (5 males, 5 females) Little Golden-mantled Flying Foxes (Pteropus pumilus), and 10 (4 males, 6 females) Island Flying Foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus).

Results: The most common ophthalmic examination findings included iris-iris persistent pupillary membranes (83%), nuclear sclerosis (56.7%), prominent arterial circle (40%), iridal hyperpigmented foci (30%), pupillary margin cysts (27%), and third eyelid defects (20%). The mean, among all species for: phenol red thread was 20.23 ± 1.28 mm/15 s both eyes (OU); palpebral fissure length was 13.34 ± 0.33 mm for OU; for horizontal corneal diameter was 10.72 ± 0.32 mm for OU; for vertical corneal diameter was 9.90 ± 0.30 mm for OU; for the hanging intraocular pressures was 19.38 ± 0.77 mmHg for OU; for upright IOP was 13.95 ± 0.60 mmHg for OU. Measurements for the individual species groups and eyes were also calculated.

Conclusions: Results revealed the IOP of bats in a hanging position were significantly higher than the IOP of bats in an upright position. The size of the bat, between the species, affected palpebral fissure length, horizontal corneal diameter, and vertical corneal diameter. Information about the ocular structures and normal ophthalmic parameters for the Pteropus species is crucial for species protection because of dependence on vision for survival.