Small Mauritian flying fox
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| Pteropus subniger Kerr, 1792 |
The small Mauritian flying fox or dark flying fox (Pteropus subniger) is an extinct species of megabat. It lived on the islands of Réunion and Mauritius in the Mascarene Islands of the Indian Ocean. It was abundant, with up to 400 sometimes crowding together at a single roost in a cave or in an ancient, hollow tree, while most other fruit bats prefer to roost in the branches of large trees. Local people believed that there was only one male per roost, which may indicate that the sexes roosted separately and that the large roosts were maternity colonies. The flying fox was nocturnal and had delicate teeth, so probably fed on nectar and possibly soft fruit.
As it roosted in old trees and caves, it was vulnerable to forest clearance and hunting. It probably vanished in the 1800s. There are specimens in museums in Paris, London, Berlin and Sydney.
[edit] References
- Mickleburgh et al (2004). Pteropus subniger. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 05 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as extinct
