Pteropus macrotis
SUBFAMILY
Pteropodinae
TAXONOMY
Pteropus macrotis Peters, 1867, Indonesia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Black-bearded flying fox.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Forearm 5–6 in (13–15 cm), weight 0.7–0.9 lb (300–400 g). The fur on the head is medium to dark brown, throat is brown, dorsum and rump are dark brown, ventrum is black or reddish brown, and the mantle is reddish to yellow.
DISTRIBUTION
New Guinea, Boigu Islands of Australia.
HABITAT
Lowland forest; inland forests.
BEHAVIOR
Known to forage in drier areas than other Pteropus species.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Large numbers of bats will fly to the mainland of New Guinea to feed. They eat coconut palm flowers and a variety of fruit and blossoms in dry monsoon scrub. It will invade plantations to feed on coconut and sago palm (Cycas revoluta) blossoms.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Nothing is known, but probably polygynous.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Hunted for food. Performs valuable pollination and seed dispersal of plants.
