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| Mauritian flying fox | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mauritian flying fox |
| Status | EN |
| Status system | IUCN3.1 |
| Genus | Pteropus |
| Species | niger |
| Authority | Kuhl, 1820 |
Mauritian flying fox is an endemic megabat of the Mascarene Islands noted for its role in pollination and seed dispersal. The species occurs on Mauritius and Rodrigues and has been the focus of conservation, legal, and social debates involving scientists, policymakers, and communities. It is central to studies by institutions such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and universities across United Kingdom, France, and South Africa.
Described by Johann Jakob Kaup and later treated by Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn and Georges Cuvier in comparative work on bats, the taxon sits within the genus Pteropus of the family Pteropodidae, a clade reviewed in monographs by George G. Dobson and revisions by researchers at the Natural History Museum, London and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. Molecular phylogenies published by teams including Nancy B. Simmons and Robert J. Baker have sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear markers to resolve relationships among Pteropus species such as Pteropus vampyrus and Pteropus giganteus. The species has been subject to nomenclatural scrutiny in works by Oldfield Thomas and catalogues at the American Museum of Natural History.
Adults reach wingspans comparable to large fruit bats documented by Alfred Russel Wallace and morphologists at the Smithsonian Institution. Plumage descriptions echo plates in early field guides by G. H. H. Tate and later accounts in field handbooks by Peter J. Taylor and Robert J. Timmins. Dentition and cranial measurements follow comparative protocols from the Royal Society publications; pelage coloration and sexual dimorphism are detailed in species accounts curated by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation. Standard morphometrics align with museum specimens curated at the Natural History Museum, Paris and the Bernard Price Institute.
Native to Mauritius and Rodrigues, the species occupies forest remnants and agroforestry mosaics mapped during surveys by teams from the University of Mauritius, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, and Conservation International. Historical range reconstructions reference colonial-era maps held by the British Library and expedition records from the Royal Society of London. Habitat descriptions align with ecological zonation studies by the United Nations Environment Programme and regional assessments by the Indian Ocean Commission.
Nocturnal flight and roosting behavior were documented in field studies led by researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, often in collaboration with the Mauritius Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security and NGOs such as the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Roost site fidelity and social structure have been analyzed alongside comparable work on Rousettus aegyptiacus and Eidolon helvum by teams at the University of Ghana and University of Cape Town. Movement ecology has been inferred using telemetry methods developed at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and telemetry labs at the University of California, Davis.
Frugivory and nectarivory were characterized in dietary studies published in journals affiliated with the Royal Society and the Ecological Society of America, with plant species lists compiled in collaboration with botanists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Jardin des Plantes, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Foraging studies reference interaction networks examined by researchers at the University of Exeter and University College London and compare mutualisms observed in Australia and Southeast Asia involving genera like Ficus and Eugenia. Pollination roles have been highlighted in conservation outreach by the IUCN Bat Specialist Group and floristic surveys by the Indian Ocean Commission.
Reproductive timing and pup rearing were described in longitudinal studies coordinated by the Mauritius Research Council and demographic analyses from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Life-history parameters follow methods used in mammal demography at the Smithsonian Institution and population modeling approaches advanced at the University of Cambridge Conservation Science Group. Comparative reproductive ecology draws on datasets from studies of Pteropus poliocephalus and Pteropus scapulatus by Australian researchers at the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney.
Assessed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with listings considered by national authorities including the Mauritius National Parks and Conservation Service, the species has been affected by habitat loss documented by the World Wildlife Fund and agricultural conflict reported in ministry assessments. Conservation interventions have involved litigation and policy debates engaging the Supreme Court of Mauritius, local NGOs such as the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation and international partners like the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, BirdLife International, and researchers from the University of Bristol. Threats including cyclones catalogued by the Mauritius Meteorological Services, invasive species studies by the Global Invasive Species Programme, and disease surveillance coordinated with the World Health Organization inform recovery planning endorsed by the Convention on Biological Diversity and funded by agencies such as the European Union and bilateral donors including France and United Kingdom development programs.
Category:Pteropus Category:Mammals of Mauritius Category:Endangered animals