Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat
Encyclopedia
The Mindoro Stripe-faced Fruit Bat (Styloctenium mindorensis), nicknamed the "flying fox" for its foxlike face (although it is not a flying fox bat), is a species of large Philippine
megabat
. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro
. S. mindorensis is a typical fruit bat
, possessing modified forearms for flight, short clawed hind legs and large ears for use in echolocation
. The bat shares many anatomical features with the rest of its genus, which was originally described from just one species. These include an overall orange pelage, a white stripe down the middle of the bat's rostrum
and white spots above its eyes. S. mindorensis can be distinguished from the other member of its genus by its possession of multicusped
lower and upper canine teeth.
Because of its distinct morphological features, it was placed in the genus Styloctenium
. Prior to this, the genus was only described from one species, the Indonesia
n Styloctenium wallacei. The second species in the genus to be discovered, it was formally described by Jacob Esselstyn in the August 2007 issue of the Journal of Mammalogy
. Esselstyn first heard rumours of the bat's existence from locals in barangay
Batong Buhay in the municipality of Sablayan in the province of Occidental Mindoro
. The researchers remained skeptical of the species' existence until a live specimen was unexpectedly found in February 2006. The bat was unintentionally caught in one of their nets used for surveying the local fauna. S. mindorensis is the 74th chiropteran species to be found in the Philippines and the country's 26th endemic one.
While no population studies has been done so far on the species, it has been suggested that it may be threatened by hunting
and habitat loss due to the general deforestation of forests on Mindoro. Along with other large pteropodids on the island, the bat is hunted by the locals for use as food. The describer went so far as to state that because of these threats, the species may be at risk of extinction
.
Aboriginal rock art dating back some 20 000 years from near Kalumburu in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, depicts several bats similar to Styloctenium mindorensis hanging from a branch or vine. The paintings belong to a category of sophisticated rock art known as Bradshaws
. The facial markings on the paintings are particularly clear and have led researchers to conclude that the subjects were either S. mindorensis or a closely related species.
The Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat ranked sixth in the top ten species of 2008, selected by the International Institute for Species Exploration
http://www.species.asu.edu/2008_species06.php.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
megabat
Megabat
Megabats constitute the suborder Megachiroptera, family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera . They are also called fruit bats, old world fruit bats, or flying foxes.-Description:...
. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
. S. mindorensis is a typical fruit bat
Fruit Bat
Fruit Bat can refer to:* Megabats, a species of bat which eats fruit* Les "Fruitbat" Carter, guitarist of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine* Fruit Bats , an American band...
, possessing modified forearms for flight, short clawed hind legs and large ears for use in echolocation
Animal echolocation
Echolocation, also called biosonar, is the biological sonar used by several kinds of animals.Echolocating animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various objects near them. They use these echoes to locate and identify the objects...
. The bat shares many anatomical features with the rest of its genus, which was originally described from just one species. These include an overall orange pelage, a white stripe down the middle of the bat's rostrum
Rostrum (anatomy)
The term rostrum is used for a number of unrelated structures in different groups of animals:*In crustaceans, the rostrum is the forward extension of the carapace in front of the eyes....
and white spots above its eyes. S. mindorensis can be distinguished from the other member of its genus by its possession of multicusped
Cusp (dentistry)
A cusp is an occlusal or incisal eminence on a tooth.Canine teeth, otherwise known as cuspids, each possess a single cusp, while premolars, otherwise known as bicuspids, possess two each. Molars normally possess either four or five cusps...
lower and upper canine teeth.
Because of its distinct morphological features, it was placed in the genus Styloctenium
Styloctenium
Styloctenium is a genus of stripe-faced fruit bat in the Pteropodidae or family.It comprises the following species:*Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat, Styloctenium mindorensis*Sulawesi Stripe-faced Fruit Bat, Styloctenium wallacei...
. Prior to this, the genus was only described from one species, the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n Styloctenium wallacei. The second species in the genus to be discovered, it was formally described by Jacob Esselstyn in the August 2007 issue of the Journal of Mammalogy
Journal of Mammalogy
The Journal of Mammalogy is the flagship publication of the American Society of Mammalogists. Both the society and the journal were founded in 1919. The peer-reviewed journal publishes papers about mammals throughout the world and their conservation...
. Esselstyn first heard rumours of the bat's existence from locals in barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
Batong Buhay in the municipality of Sablayan in the province of Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro is a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. "Home of the Indigenous Mangyans". Its capital is Mamburao and occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro, on the west by Apo East Pass, and on the south by the Mindoro Strait; Oriental Mindoro is...
. The researchers remained skeptical of the species' existence until a live specimen was unexpectedly found in February 2006. The bat was unintentionally caught in one of their nets used for surveying the local fauna. S. mindorensis is the 74th chiropteran species to be found in the Philippines and the country's 26th endemic one.
While no population studies has been done so far on the species, it has been suggested that it may be threatened by hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and habitat loss due to the general deforestation of forests on Mindoro. Along with other large pteropodids on the island, the bat is hunted by the locals for use as food. The describer went so far as to state that because of these threats, the species may be at risk of extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
.
Aboriginal rock art dating back some 20 000 years from near Kalumburu in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, depicts several bats similar to Styloctenium mindorensis hanging from a branch or vine. The paintings belong to a category of sophisticated rock art known as Bradshaws
Bradshaws
Bradshaw rock paintings, or the Bradshaws are a distinctive style of rock art found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. They are named after the pastoralist Joseph Bradshaw who was the first European to discover them in 1891, whilst searching for grazing land for his cattle...
. The facial markings on the paintings are particularly clear and have led researchers to conclude that the subjects were either S. mindorensis or a closely related species.
The Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat ranked sixth in the top ten species of 2008, selected by the International Institute for Species Exploration
International Institute for Species Exploration
The International Institute for Species Exploration is a research institute hosted by Arizona State University, dedicated to improving taxonomical exploration and the cataloguing of new species of flora and fauna. It is located in Tempe, Arizona, in the United States of America. The institute's...
http://www.species.asu.edu/2008_species06.php.