Rodrigues Flying Fox
Encyclopedia
The Rodrigues Flying Fox or Rodrigues Fruit Bat (Pteropus rodricensis) is a species of megabat
in the family Pteropodidae, the flying foxes or fruit bats. It is endemic to Rodrigues
, an island in the Indian Ocean
belonging to Mauritius
. Its natural habitat
is tropical moist lowland forest
s. It is a sociable species which lives in large groups. It can reach 350 grams in weight and has a wingspan of 90 centimetres.
It is threatened by habitat loss through storm damage and human intervention and also by local hunting
for food. Formerly the daytime roosts or 'camps' of this flying fox contained more than 500 individuals. The species currently numbers just a few hundred in the wild and is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
has undertaken a successful captive breeding
program and there are now colonies in several zoos. Likewise, the Organization for Bat Conservation
is funding an international conservation project.
At night the bats forage in dry woodland for fruit of various trees such as tamarind
s, rose-apples, mango
es, palms
and fig
s. Like many other fruit bats they squeeze out the juices and soft pulp, rarely swallowing the harder parts. Observations in captivity show that each dominant male gathers a harem of up to ten females, with which he roosts and mates. Subordinate and immature males tend to roost in another part of the camp.
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:...
in the family Pteropodidae, the flying foxes or fruit bats. It is endemic to Rodrigues
Rodrigues (island)
Rodrigues , sometimes spelled Rodriguez but named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius...
, an island in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
belonging to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s. It is a sociable species which lives in large groups. It can reach 350 grams in weight and has a wingspan of 90 centimetres.
It is threatened by habitat loss through storm damage and human intervention and also by local 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...
for food. Formerly the daytime roosts or 'camps' of this flying fox contained more than 500 individuals. The species currently numbers just a few hundred in the wild and is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organisation with a mission to save species from extinction.Gerald Durrell founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust as a charitable institution in 1963 with the Dodo as its symbol...
has undertaken a successful captive breeding
Captive breeding
Captive breedingis the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient...
program and there are now colonies in several zoos. Likewise, the Organization for Bat Conservation
Organization for Bat Conservation
Organization for Bat Conservation is an nonprofit organization to further Bat Conservation. It is a conservationist organization, founded by Rob Mies and Kim Williams in the late 1990s. OBC’s vision is to inspire a peaceful coexistence between bats and humans and to promote global participation...
is funding an international conservation project.
At night the bats forage in dry woodland for fruit of various trees such as tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...
s, rose-apples, mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es, palms
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
and fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
s. Like many other fruit bats they squeeze out the juices and soft pulp, rarely swallowing the harder parts. Observations in captivity show that each dominant male gathers a harem of up to ten females, with which he roosts and mates. Subordinate and immature males tend to roost in another part of the camp.