Livingstone's fruit bat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Pteropodidae |
Genus: | Pteropus |
Species: | P. livingstonii
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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]
Smith2006
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).