Translate:

Animal Info - Mortlock Islands Flying Fox

(Other Names: 金狐蝠, コガネオオコウモリ, Mortloch-Flughund, Mortlock Flying Fox, Roussette de l'Île Mortlock)

Pteropus phaeocephalus

Status: Critically Endangered

Contents

1. Profile
2. Tidbits
3. Status and Trends (IUCN Status, Countries Where Currently Found, Population Estimates, History of Distribution, Threats and Reasons for Decline)
4. Data on Biology and Ecology (Habitat, Gestation Period, Early Development, Behavior)
5. References

Profile

Very little information has been published about the Mortlock Islands flying fox.

Tidbits

*** Flying foxes are so-called because of their fox-like faces. They cannot use echolocation. Instead, they navigate using vision and normal hearing.

*** Most flying foxes eat fruit and are also called fruit bats. Fruit bats are ecologically and economically important because they pollinate and disperse the seeds of wild and commercial plants.

Status and Trends

IUCN Status:

• 1994: Endangered
• 1996 - 2004: Critically Endangered; (Criteria: B1+2e) (IUCN 2004)

Countries Where the Mortlock Islands Flying Fox Is Currently Found:

2004: Occurs in the Federated States of Micronesia. (IUCN 2004)

Population Estimates:

[Note: Figures given are for wild populations only.]

• WORLD (Mortlock Islands in Chuuk (Truk), Federated States of Micronesia)
  • 1992: Because of the small area of the Mortlock Islands, the population probably does not contain more than several thousand individuals (Mickleburgh 1992)

History of Distribution:

The Mortlock Islands flying fox occurs on the Mortlock Islands in Chuuk (Truk) in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Threats and Reasons for Decline:

Commercial hunting and typhoons are the major threats.

Data on Biology and Ecology

Habitat:

The Mortlock Islands flying fox is one of the species that live in the Polynesia and Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot (Cons. Intl. 2005).  

Gestation Period:

The gestation period of flying foxes is 4 - 5 months (Bonaccorso 1998). 

Early Development:

The young of flying foxes become independent at 3 - 6 months (Bonaccorso 1998).

Behavior:

Flying foxes roost in tree tops and often actively remove foliage from roost trees (Bonaccorso 1998). 

 

References

Bonaccorso 1998, Cons. Intl. 2005, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2003a, IUCN 2004, Mickleburgh 1992

Top of Page | Search This Site

Home | Rarest Mammals | Species Index | Species Groups Index | Country Index | Links

By: Paul Massicot; Last modified: March 5, 2005; © 1999 - 2005 Animal Info