Common tube-nosed fruit bat

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Common tube-nosed fruit bat
Nyctimene albiventer.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Nyctimene
Species:
N. albiventer
Binomial name
Nyctimene albiventer
(Gray, 1863) [2]
Common Tube-nosed Fruit Bat area.png
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.

Contents

Taxonomy

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]

Behaviour

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]

Distribution and status

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]

Conservation

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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megabat</span> Family of fruit bats

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nendo tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Extinct species of bat

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern tube-nosed bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broad-striped tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallas's tube-nosed bat</span> Species of bat

Pallas's tube-nosed bat, also known as the Torresian tube-nosed bat or northern tube-nosed bat, is a species of megabat in the Nyctimene genus found in Indonesia. Its range may extend to New Guinea, but sightings may be attributable to misidentification. Its range may at one time also have extended to Timor, but was extirpated due to habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round-eared tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragon tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demonic tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser tube-nosed bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umboi tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<i>Nyctimene</i> (genus) Genus of bats

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keast's tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steadfast tube-nosed fruit bat</span> Species of bat

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Aplin, K.; Armstrong, K.N. (2021) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Nyctimene albiventer". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T14962A209535483. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T14962A209535483.en . Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 Gray, J.E. (1863). "Description of some new species of mammalia". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1862: 261–263.
  3. 1 2 Hall, L.S.; Richards, G. (2000). Flying Foxes: Fruit and Blossom Bats of Australia. UNSW Press. ISBN   9780868405612.
  4. "Bat of the Week: Nyctimene albiventer – SANTANA LAB". Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2020-10-14.