Guam flying fox

Last updated

Guam flying fox
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Pteropus
Species:
P. tokudae
Binomial name
Pteropus tokudae
Tate, 1934
Distribution of Pteropus tokudae.png

The Guam flying fox (Pteropus tokudae), also known as the little Marianas fruit bat, is an extinct species of small megabat endemic to Guam in the Marianas Islands in Micronesia that was confirmed extinct due to hunting or habitat changes. [1] It was first recorded in 1931 and was observed roosting with the larger and much more common Mariana fruit bat. The last specimen was a female found roosting at Tarague cliff in March 1967, but it escaped capture. An unconfirmed sighting took place sometime during the 1970s, and no other individuals have been sighted since then. [1]

Contents

Description

The Guam flying fox had a length of about 15 cm (6 in), a wingspan of about 70 cm (28 in), and a body weight of 152 g (5.4 oz). It was very similar in appearance to the Chuuk flying fox ( Pteropus insularis ). The top of the head was greyish, while its back, throat, and underparts were brown or dark brown, and the side of the neck was golden-brown. [6]

Behaviour

Little is known about the behaviour of this flying fox, but it is likely that it fed on the fruits, flowers, and foliage of evergreen shrubs and trees that are characteristic of the limestone forests found in the northern part of Guam. Similarly, not much is known about its reproductive habits, but an incident in 1968, where a female was shot, revealed that she was accompanied by an immature individual. This suggests the possibility of ongoing parental care. [6]

Status

There are no confirmed records of sightings of this bat since the 1970s and the IUCN lists it as being "Extinct". When it was more plentiful, it was hunted by humans for food, which may have contributed to its extinction. Another factor may have been the introduction, into the island, of the predatory brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis). [1] In September 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed declaring the species extinct, and it was delisted effective November 2023 in accordance with the Endangered Species Act. [7] [8]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bonaccorso, F.J.; Helgen, K.; Allison, A.; Wiles, G. (2020). "Pteropus tokudae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T18763A22088402. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T18763A22088402.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of 23 Extinct Species From the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants". www.regulations.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  3. "Little Mariana fruit Bat (Pteropus tokudae)". Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  4. Poulos, Peter G.; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (27 August 1984). "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Seven Birds and Two Bats of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands". Federal Register. 49 (167): 33881–33885. 49 FR 33881
  5. Branch of Delisting and Foreign Species, Ecological Services Program; Ecological Services Field Office Staff, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (17 October 2023). "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of 21 Species From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife". Federal Register. 88 (199): 71644–71682. 88 FR 71644
  6. 1 2 Jeffery Rebitzke (2002). "Pteropus tokudae: Guam flying fox". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 2013-12-29.
  7. "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Delisting 23 Species from Endangered Species Act Due to Extinction". United States Fish and Wildlife Service. September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  8. "21 Species Delisted from the Endangered Species Act due to Extinction | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". FWS.gov. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2024-07-09.

Related Research Articles

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

The Mariana fruit bat, also known as the Mariana flying fox, and the fanihi in Chamorro, is a megabat found only in the Mariana Islands and Ulithi. Habitat loss has driven it to endangered status, and it is listed as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Poaching, habitat loss, and the introduction of invasive species have contributed to the species' decline.

<i>Pteropus</i> Genus of large bats

Pteropus is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, East Africa, and some oceanic islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are at least 60 extant species in the genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mauritian flying fox</span> Species of bat

The Mauritian flying fox, also known as Greater Mascarene flying fox or Mauritius fruit bat is a large megabat species endemic to Mauritius and La Réunion.

The San Marcos gambusia is a likely extinct species of Gambusia from the family Poeciliidae that was found only in the San Marcos Springs of Central Texas. The fish has not been seen since 1983.

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

Livingstone's fruit bat, also called the Comoro flying fox, is a megabat in the genus Pteropus. It is an Old World fruit bat found only in the Anjouan and Mohéli islands in the Union of the Comoros in the western Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kākāwahie</span> Extinct species of bird

The kākāwahie or Molokaʻi creeper is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It was found on the Hawaiian island of Molokaʻi in Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridled white-eye</span> Species of bird

The bridled white-eye is a species of white-eye native to the Mariana Islands and formerly Guam. The species' natural habitat is tropical forests, shrublands and urban areas.

<i>Pteropus pelagicus</i> Species of bat

Pteropus pelagicus is a species of fruit bat in the family Pteropodidae. It includes two subspecies that were formerly recognized as full species— Pteropus insularis and Pteropus phaeocephalus. It is endemic to Micronesia. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonin flying fox</span> Species of bat

The Bonin flying fox, also known as Bonin fruit bat, is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to four islands of the Bonin Islands group, Japan. Its natural habitat is subtropical forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodrigues flying fox</span> Large species of bat native to the island of Rodrigues

The Rodrigues flying fox or Rodrigues fruit bat is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae, the flying foxes or fruit bats. It is endemic to Rodrigues, an island in the Indian Ocean belonging to Mauritius. Its natural habitat is tropical lowland forests. The bats are sociable, roost in large groups during the day and feed at night, squeezing the juice and flesh out of fruits. They are hunted by humans for food and their numbers have been dwindling, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the species as being "endangered". In an effort to preserve them from extinction, some bats have been caught and are being bred in various zoos around the world.

The upland combshell was a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae. It was endemic to the upper Mobile River Basin in the southeastern United States.

<i>Epioblasma turgidula</i> Species of bivalve

Epioblasma turgidula, the turgid blossom pearly mussel, turgid riffle shell, turgid-blossom naiad or turgid blossom, was a species of freshwater mussel, a mollusk in the family Unionidae. The US Fish and Wildlife Service declared the species extinct and delisted it from the Endangered Species Act in 2023.

Theliderma stapes, the stirrup shell or stirrupshell, was a species of bivalve in the family Unionidae. It was endemic to eastern Mississippi and western Alabama in the United States. It was last observed in 1987 and was proposed for delisting due to extinction by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2021. It was officially declared extinct on October 16, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maui ʻakepa</span> Species of bird

The Maui ʻakepa is a species of ʻakepa native to Maui in the Hawaiian Islands, and which was common throughout the island. Introduced mosquitoes and other animals to Maui contributed to the declining population, and the bird is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The latest reported sighting of this bird was in 1988, and in 2021 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service proposed declaring it extinct. The species was delisted from the Endangered Species Act on October 16, 2023 citing extinction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rennell flying fox</span> Species of bat

The Rennell flying fox is a species of flying fox found in the Solomon Islands. It is an endangered species risking extinction.

An out-of-danger species is an animal or plant species formerly categorized as Rare, Vulnerable, or Endangered that has since been removed from these lists because the species' survival has been relatively secured, e.g. Ginkgo biloba. Often known as a delisted species, these animals have been moved out of the Rare, Vulnerable, or Endangered categories through conservation efforts and government policymaking to ensure their survival and population growth. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) established its list of endangered species in 1964, subsequently becoming a global authority on wildlife conservation. The following year, the United States created the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to act as a federal authority on endangered species. Currently, both international and domestic organizations implement recovery efforts and track species' population growth, delisting when necessary. Removing a species from the endangered species list is generally a slow process; most organizations and governments require long periods of observation both before and after delisting. There have been numerous efforts to delist endangered species, with both international and country-wide recovery plans being regularly implemented. These programs have led to the recovery of dozens of species, but their overall effectiveness remains contested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas Island flying fox</span> Species of mammal (bat)

The Christmas Island flying fox or Christmas Island fruit bat, as the name suggests, is a flying fox endemic to Christmas Island. It is unclear if it should be considered a distinct species, or a subspecies of the black-eared flying fox. It may descend from a population of island flying foxes from Pulau Panjang near Java.

References