Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3
Fig 4
Fig 5
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Order : CHIROPTERA
Family : Pteropodidae
Species : Pteropus hypomelanus
Forearm Length : up to 15 cm
Weight : up to 210 gms
Worldwide there are around
60 species of Flying Fox in the genus Pteropus, of which around 20 occur in
Southeast Asia. Many species have restricted distributions in remote islands
of central and eastern Indonesia.
The Island Flying Fox is
the smallest Pteropus species : as its name suggests, it inhabits
offshore islands. Its preferred roosts are in coconut palms and Casuarina
trees. Its noisy, daytime roosts may number in the hundreds and are
sometimes located close to towns and villages.
Its fur colour is variable but is generally dark grey-brown on the lower
back to orange-brown in the underparts and around the chest and face.
This species occurs on smaller islands throughout Southeast Asia to New
Guinea. Many populations have been decimated where the local culture
includes these bats as a food source.
Fig 1 : A pair of Island Flying Fox
in a Casuarina roost at Pulau Tioman, Peninsular
Malaysia.
Figs 2 to 4 : Part of a large flock of Island Fruit Bat found feeding on
ripe figs after dusk, at Nikoi Island, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia.
Fig 5 : Dark specimen, from Nikoi Island, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia.
References : M1, M2, M3
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