Anchieta's broad-faced fruit bat
| Anchieta's broad-faced fruit bat | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Plerotes | ||||||||||||
| Andersen , 1910 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Plerotes anchietae | ||||||||||||
| ( de Seabra , 1900) |
Anchieta's broad- faced flying fox ( Plerotes anchietae ) is a rare flying fox in the group of epaulette flying foxes found in Central Africa . Until the beginning of the 2000s, only eleven copies were known. The species differs significantly in its morphology from other epaulette batons. It is therefore placed in its own genus . The epithet in the species name honors the Portuguese naturalist José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta .
features
The species reaches a head-torso length of 87 to 96 mm, a forearm length of 48 to 53 mm and a weight of about 20 g. A wingspan of 343 mm was determined for a female . The rudimentary tail is not externally visible.
Features of the head include a wide snout, small eyes, and brown ears with a small white spot behind them. Characteristic are narrow red-brown circles around the eyes, narrow red-brown stripes from the dark circles to the nostrils and a beard of stiff yellow-white hair above the upper lip and chin. Cheek pouches have been recorded in various individuals that could serve to transport food or to produce sounds.
This flying fox lacks the tufts of hair (epaulettes) on the shoulder that are otherwise typical for the species group. These are replaced by white spots. In general, the long fur is gray-brown in color, with the underside being significantly lighter. The brown flight membrane is characterized by a conspicuously narrow tail flight membrane ( uropatagium ). Since a calcar is missing, it is attached to the second toes of the hind feet.
The question of what food this fruit bat eats remains unanswered. The small teeth suggest that Plerotes anchietae feed on flowers, pollen and nectar . However, the tongue is quite short, but it has papillae at the tip. Possibly fruits are one of the food sources of the species. Occasionally, the second upper incisors were missing from the teeth. The premolars are narrow and the molars are simple, with no cusps. The third molar tooth is only a small stump or is missing entirely.
distribution and habitat
Anchieta's broad-faced fruit bat has been found in Angola , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Malawi, and Zambia . The species occurs primarily in forest-covered mountains between 1000 and 2000 meters above sea level. The dense foliage probably serves as a resting place.
status
Forestry , fire clearing and deforestation for the recovery of agricultural land are a potential threat. Since little is known about the way it is by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as "insufficient data" ( Data Deficient listings).
swell
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Plerotes ).
- Kingdon, Jonathan (Ed.): Mammals of Africa . A & C Black, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2254-9 , pp. 281,282 (English, Anchieta's fruit bat ).
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 1. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, pp. 277-278, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 . ( Genus Plerotes )
- Plerotes anchietae inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Posted by: Mickleburgh, S., Hutson, AM, Bergmans, W., Fahr, J., Chitaukali, W. & Cotterill, FPD, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2015.