Livingstone's fruit bat

Livingstone's fruit bat
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Pteropus
Species:
P. livingstonii
Binomial name
Pteropus livingstonii
Livingstone's fruit bat range

Livingstone's fruit bat (Pteropus livingstonii), 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.

It is the largest and rarest bat of all Comorian species. Its preferred habitat is montane forest above 200 metres (660 ft) on Mohéli and above 500 metres (1,600 ft) on Anjouan, the destruction of which is a major threat to the bat population. As of 2003, the total population was estimated at 1,200 individuals. Other threats to the bats' survival include storms, hunting, and their struggles to readapt to new habitats.[2]

The black-bearded flying fox is believed to be one of the closest relatives of Livingstone's fruit bats, but experts differ as to whether or not these species belong to the same species group.[3][4] No subspecies have been recognized.[5]

  1. ^ Sewall, B.J.; Young, R.; Trewhella, W.J.; Rodríguez-Clark, K.M.; Granek, E.F. (2016). "Pteropus livingstonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T18732A22081502. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T18732A22081502.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Massicot, Paul (3 Jan 2007). "Animal Info - Livingstone's Flying Fox". Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  3. ^ Nowak, R., ed. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol. 1 (6 ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 264–271. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9.
  4. ^ Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smith2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).