Fijian fruit bat
| Fijian fruit bat | ||||||||||||
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Fijian fruit bat ( Mirimiri acrodonta ), photo taken by William N. Beckon and rotated 180 ° |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Mirimiri | ||||||||||||
| Helgen , 2005 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Mirimiri acrodonta | ||||||||||||
| ( Hill & Beckon , 1978) |
The Fiji flying fox ( Mirimiri acrodonta ) is a mammal of the family of flying foxes , originally in the genus Pteralopex was listed. According to a revision by Kristofer Michael Helgen (2005), the fruit bat is the only species in the thus monotypical genus Mirimiri .
Appearance
Males are about 20 cm taller than females, with a head-to-trunk length of about 18 cm. The coat of both sexes has an olive-green-yellow basic color, with the upper side of the males being predominantly golden-yellow. The bright orange colored eyes are a striking feature of the species. The few weighed specimens weighed around 250 g.
distribution and habitat
The species is endemic to the island of Taveuni , one of the Fiji islands. So far, it has only been documented in the area around Des Voeux Peak, in regions that are at least 900 meters above sea level. Tropical mountain rainforests serve as habitat . The Fijian fruit bat may inhabit similar habitats on neighboring islands.
Way of life and existence
Very little is known about the flying fox's way of life. The individuals usually rest in pairs in ferns, which grow as epiphytes 6 to 10 meters above the ground on tree trunks. Because of the teeth, which are either pointed or have distinct humps, it is believed that the Fijian fruit bat feeds on fruits or other parts of plants.
The IUCN suspects that the Fiji flying fox only has up to 1000 specimens. The species is therefore listed as " Critically Endangered " .
credentials
- Mirimiri acrodonta in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: slipway, K., Palmeirim, J. & Allison, A., 2008. Accessed March 29, 2016th
- Wilson & Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Pteralopex acrodonta ).
- Fijian Flying Fox. Fiji Nature Conservation Trust, 2015, accessed March 29, 2016 .
Web links
- John Edwards Hill & William N. Beckon: A new species of Pteralopex Thomas, 1888 (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) from the Fiji Islands . In: Bullettin of the British Museum of Natural History . No. 34 , 1978, p. 65-82 ( online ).