Roosting behaviour and habitat selection of <i>Pteropus giganteus</i> reveal potential links to Nipah virus epidemiology

Summary Flying foxes Pteropus spp. play a key role in forest regeneration as seed dispersers and are also the reservoir of many viruses, including N ipah virus in B angladesh. Little is known about their habitat requirements, particularly in S outh A sia. Identifying Pteropus habitat preferences could assist in understanding the risk of zoonotic disease transmission broadly and, in Bangladesh, could help explain the spatial distribution of human Nipah virus cases. We analysed characteristics of Pteropus giganteus roosts and constructed an ecological niche model to identify suitable habitat in Bangladesh. We also assessed the distribution of suitable habitat in relation to the location of human Nipah virus cases. Compared to non‐roost trees, P. giganteus roost trees are taller with…