Geoffroy's flying fox
| Geoffroy's flying fox | ||||||||||||
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Drawing from the work Iconographia Zoologica |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Rousettus amplexicaudatus | ||||||||||||
| ( E. Geoffroy , 1810) |
Geoffroy's flying fox ( Rousettus amplexicaudatus ) is a bat in the genus group of rosette bats , with a wide distribution area in Southeast Asia and the Australis region .
features
The species reaches a head-to-trunk length of 137 to 152 mm, a tail length of 17 to 23 mm and a weight of 84 to 104 g. It has 83 to 91 mm long forearms, 19 to 21 mm long hind feet and 18 to 20 mm long ears. Males are generally larger than females and usually have rosettes of light yellow hair on both sides of the neck, although these are also found in a few females. The short fur is brown to gray-brown in color. Often the tips of the hair are light gray, which resembles a layer of hoar frost. The white fingers, which consist almost entirely of bones covered with skin, contrast with the dark flight skins . The wings are slightly translucent close to the fingers. As with most fruit bats, the second finger is equipped with a claw.
distribution
The distribution area of Geoffroy's fruit bat stretches from Myanmar and Vietnam over the Malay Peninsula and the Southeast Asian islands to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands . The flying fox can be found in the lowlands and in mountains up to 2,200 meters above sea level. The habitat varies between different types of forests and urbanized landscapes, such as orchards or city parks.
Way of life
The individuals rest during the day in caves or in quiet areas of mines and form colonies there that can consist of several thousand specimens. They go in search of food at night and can cover long distances of up to 25 km. Geoffroy's fruit bat eats almost exclusively fruit. Like other cave bats ( Rousettus ), it sends out clicks that are used for echolocation .
In the Philippines, females are believed to have two litters per year and females from the same colony have offspring almost simultaneously. The gestation period is 15 weeks, with one litter consisting of one young. The young animal is weaned approximately 2.5 to 3 months after birth.
status
Although Geoffroy's fruit bat is hunted intensively in some regions, the total population is estimated to be sufficiently large. Because the species is most sensitive in caves, a national plan of action has been drawn up in the Philippines, but it is not fully followed. There are several nature reserves in the distribution area . The IUCN lists Geoffroy's fruit bat as Least Concern.
supporting documents
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): 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, Rousettus amplexicaudatus ).
- ↑ a b c d Heaney et al. (Ed.): The Mammals of Luzon Island . Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016, pp. 207-208 (English, Rousettus amplexicaudatus ).
- ^ Francis & Barrett (eds.): A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-East Asia . New Holland Publishers, 2008, pp. 194 (English, Rousettus amplexicaudatus ). Rousettus amplexicaudatus ( Memento of the original from April 29, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d e Rousettus amplexicaudatus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Csorba, G., Rosell-Ambal, G. & Ingle, N., 2008. Accessed April 28, 2017th
- ^ G. Sales (ed.): Ultrasonic Communication by Animals . Springer Science & Business Media, 2012, p. 32-33 (English, Rousettus ).
