| Harpy fruit bat | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Pteropodidae |
| Genus: | Harpyionycteris |
| Species: | H. whiteheadi |
| Binomial name | |
| Harpyionycteris whiteheadi Thomas, 1896 | |
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| Harpy fruit bat range | |
The harpy fruit bat (Harpyionycteris whiteheadi) is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. [1]
It was described as a new species in 1896 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas. The specimens that he examined in Britain had been collected by English explorer John Whitehead, after whom the species name whiteheadi was chosen. Of Whitehead, Thomas wrote "Mr. Whitehead is to be congratulated on this interesting addition to the splendid discoveries he has already made in the Philippine Islands." The holotype had been collected by Whitehead in December 1895 on the island of Mindoro at an elevation of 5,000 ft (1,500 m). Thomas created the genus Harpyionycteris for this species, and it was monotypic in this genus until the description of the Sulawesi harpy fruit bat in 1921. [2]
The harpy fruit bat is two-tone in color, being mostly dark brown and lighter brown on its underside. It has no tail but does have a small, fur-covered uropatagium. Its overall length is 140–153 mm (5.5–6.0 in). [3] Its canines, premaxillary bones, and upper incisors lean forward causing the upper and lower canines to cross forming nearly right angles when the mouth is closed. [3] [4] The molars are multicuspidate having five or six cusps on each. The lower canines have three cusps (tricuspidate). [3] [4] They weigh 83–142 g (2.9–5.0 oz). [3]
These frugivorous bats eat from the viney pandans and some fig species. [1] [3] The excretion of seeds in the bat's guano helps with the dispersal of these plant species. [3] [5]
Male and female harpy fruit bats reach sexual maturity within a year. There are two breeding seasons, the first is from January to February and the second is from July to August. The females only have one pup at a time with a gestation period of four to five months. Afterwards they lactate for three or four months. Some females breed during both seasons having two pups per year while others only breed during the second season. [3]
Harpy fruit bats are found on the Philippine islands of Biliran, Maripipi, Camiguin, Leyte, Southern Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Cebu, Masbate, and Samar. They reside in primary (old growth), secondary, and lightly disturbed montane forests. Their range in elevation is between sea level and 1,800m, preferring to stay in habitats of "mid-elevation (around 500m)". [3] As with other fruit bats, harpy fruit bats are crepuscular and "roost in trees" instead of caves. [1] [3]
The harpy fruit bat population is thought to be stable. The greatest threat it faces is deforestation. However, this is not thought to be a major threat since the current deforestation within its range is mainly occurring in lower elevations. [1] [3] This species is also subject to hunting for bushmeat, as bat dishes are locally popular for special occasions. [6] The extent to which it is hunted, however, is questioned, with other sources saying that it is "rarely if ever" hunted. [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 giant golden-crowned flying fox, also known as the golden-capped fruit bat, is a species of megabat endemic to the Philippines. Since its description in 1831, three subspecies of the giant golden-crowned flying fox have been recognized, one of which is extinct. The extinct subspecies was formerly recognized as a full species, the Panay golden-crowned flying fox. Formerly, this species was placed in the genus Pteropus; while it is no longer within the genus, it has many physical similarities to Pteropus megabats. It is one of the largest bat species in the world, weighing up to 1.4 kg (3.1 lb)—only the Indian and great flying fox can weigh more. It has the longest documented forearm length of any bat species at 21 cm (8.3 in).
John Whitehead was an English explorer, naturalist and professional collector of natural history specimens in Southeast Asia. He is the first documented person to reach the summit of Mount Kinabalu: this was in 1888, after annual attempts from 1885.
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.
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 in Pteropodidae that roosts solitarily. They get their common name from their raised tubular nostrils which is unlike most other species in the family. They are a deep brown with gray heads and sparse yellow spotting.
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.
The greater short-nosed fruit bat, or short-nosed Indian fruit bat, is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae found in South and Southeast Asia.
The Madagascan fruit bat is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Madagascar and is listed as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN because it is hunted as bushmeat.
Buettikofer's epauletted fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, and moist savanna. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Harpyionycteris is a genus of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It contains the following species:
The Javan Tailless Fruit Bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Indonesia.
The Luzon fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is monotypic within the genus Otopteropus. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Lyle's flying fox is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is found in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, with an outlying population in Yunnan, China. It faces persecution from farmers and it is killed for bushmeat in parts of its range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "vulnerable".
The large flying fox, also known as the greater flying fox, Malayan flying fox, Malaysian flying fox, large fruit bat, kalang, or kalong, is a southeast Asian species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. Despite its scientific name, it feeds exclusively on fruits, nectar, and flowers, like the other flying foxes of the genus Pteropus. It is noted for being one of the largest bats. As with nearly all other Old World fruit bats, it lacks the ability to echolocate but compensates for it with well-developed eyesight.
The Wallace's or Sulawesi stripe-faced fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Sulawesi and the nearby Togian Islands of Indonesia. Cave paintings resembling these bats have been found in Australia, where bats of this kind are not otherwise known.
The Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat, nicknamed the "flying fox" for its foxlike face, is a species of large Philippine megabat. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro. The Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat ranked sixth in the top ten species of 2008, selected by the International Institute for Species Exploration.
The Guadalcanal monkey-faced bat or Guadalcanal flying monkey is a megabat endemic to Solomon Islands. It is listed as an endangered species. In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species of its worldwide priority list of conservation.
The Sulawesi harpy fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Indonesia.
"This species occurs in Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is also found in Soloi on Buton island in Indonesia. It occurs from sea level up to 2,120m asl or probably higher. This species is not common. In 2002, three individuals were captured at a single locality. Population Trend ↓ Decreasing. It seems to require good forest, but has also been recorded from cocoa plantations. Soloi individuals were caught over a river in undisturbed forest. Roosting habits are not known, but this species is not likely to be a cave dweller. Hunting for sale at market, and forest loss due to expanding agriculture and logging represent major threats to this species. This species is known to occur in Domoga-bone National Park."
The greater monkey-faced bat or greater flying monkey is a megabat endemic to Solomon Islands, Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, and nearby small islands. It is listed as a critically endangered species and the population is decreasing. It is the largest monkey-faced bat.
