Common tube-nosed fruit bat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Pteropodidae |
Genus: | Nyctimene |
Species: | N. albiventer |
Binomial name | |
Nyctimene albiventer | |
common tube-nosed fruit bat range |
The common tube-nosed fruit bat (Nyctimene albiventer) is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is found at islands north of Australia, and in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
The first description of Nyctimene albiventer was provided by John Edward Gray in 1863, and allied the species by the combination Cynopterus albiventer. [2] The type, representing subspecies Nyctimene albiventer albiventer, was obtained at the Moluccas island group. [3] A part of the population which occurs on mainland Australia was recognised by this name, but specimens described by Oldfield Thomas were assigned to the species Nyctimene robinsoni in 1904. [3] The name also encompasses populations at locations which are morphologically distinct, in two separate species complexes distributed across the region, with probable and unnamed taxa sometimes occurring in sympatry; up to three sympatric species may be discerned on the main island of New Guinea. [1]
An available name, recognised as a synonym of the species, is Nyctimene papuanus K. Andersen, 1910. [1]
The species-group is generally solitary and adopts a daytime roost in dry foliage of the lower to mid storey of the forest. The reproduction is typical of megabats, with a single birth once a year. The offspring is carried by the mother until it advances to an age where it can be left behind while feeding. [1]
Common tube-nosed fruit bats are primarily frugivores, thriving on raw fruits. To eat, the bat will bite off small chunks of fruit while hanging horizontally. However, occasionally they are also known to eat nectar and the remains of insects. [4]
The species occurs at the islands north of Cape York Peninsula in Australia, but has not been recorded on the mainland. The distribution range of Nyctimene albiventer, so named, extends from the main island of Papua New Guinea to the Indonesian territories and on the region's smaller island groups. The various forms and populations are found at all altitudes below 1,900. [1]
The IUCN classifies the species by the conservation status least concern, but recognises the likelihood of separation of the species and the need for individual revision of these. Some island populations, such as those at the Kei and Moluccan Islands or the Admiralty and Bismarck groups, may be in decline due to acknowledged threats in the region, although the extent of the impact on any putative species has not been evaluated. [1]
Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera Acerodon and Pteropus—flying foxes. They are the only member of the superfamily Pteropodoidea, which is one of two superfamilies in the suborder Yinpterochiroptera. Internal divisions of Pteropodidae have varied since subfamilies were first proposed in 1917. From three subfamilies in the 1917 classification, six are now recognized, along with various tribes. As of 2018, 197 species of megabat had been described.
The Nendo or Santa Cruz tube-nosed fruit bat is a megabat from the Santa Cruz Group of the Solomon Islands, near the eastern limit of the distribution of tube-nosed fruit bats. It has tube-like nostrils and a wingspan of about 40 centimetres (16 in).
Bulmer's fruit bat is a megabat endemic to New Guinea. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and hunting. It is the only member of the genus Aproteles. Due to its imperiled status, it is identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as a species in danger of imminent extinction.
Geoffroy's rousette is a species of megabat or Old World fruit bats. It is one of ten species in the genus Rousettus.
The eastern or Queensland tube-nosed bat is a megabat in the family Pteropodidae that lives in north-eastern Australia. N. robinsoni is one of the few species of megabat that roosts solitarily. They get their common name from their raised tubular nostrils which are unlike those of most other species in the family. They are a deep brown with gray heads and sparse yellow spotting.
The fawn leaf-nosed bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae found in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vanuatu.
The broad-striped tube-nosed fruit bat, also known as the greater tube-nosed bat is a species of megabat in the genus Nyctimene. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and central Philippines. In 1912, Andersen distinguished it by its very broad dorsal stripe on the center of its back. Although this species is believed to exist at low densities, the IUCN estimates its population to be stable and has no major threats to its continued existence. The IUCN classifies Nyctimene celaenoThomas, 1922 as a synonym of this species, however as of 2013 the ITIS lists it as a separate species.
The mountain tube-nosed fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to New Guinea island and to New Britain Island.
The round-eared tube-nosed fruit bat is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is possibly conspecific with Nyctimene certans, although the taxonomy remains unresolved. The possible synonymy of the species was investigated by Randolph L. Peterson in 1991, finding the species split into two distinct groups based on morphology. It is found in West Papua and Mansuar Island in Indonesia.
The dragon tube-nosed fruit bat is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is found on both sides of New Guinea. It is slightly smaller but otherwise similar in appearance to N. albiventer, differing by having more profuse, dark spotting on its wing membranes, and smaller shorter canines. The similarity between the species has been a source of possible misidentifications. The records of this species from Papua New Guinea are associated with freshwater swamps and rivers.
The demonic tube-nosed fruit bat is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. The holotype specimen was collected in 1979 on New Ireland, in the Bismarck Archipelago. It was described as a new species in 1983. The range of the species may extend to other islands, however the extent of the range is not presently known.
The lesser tube-nosed bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is native to two of the Maluku Islands in northern Indonesia.
The Umboi tube-nosed fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is found in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
The lesser tube-nosed fruit bat or unstriped tube-nosed bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Nyctimene is a genus of bats in the Pteropodidae family. Commonly known as tube-nosed fruit bats, they are found in the central Philippines, eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the north-east coast of Australia.
Keast's tube-nosed fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae found in Babar, Tanimbar, and the Kai Islands. It was named after Colin Keast.
The steadfast tube-nosed fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae found in West Papua, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
Paranyctimene is a genus of bats in the family Pteropodidae. They are distributed in Indonesia