Bare-backed fruit bat

Species of bat

Bare-backed fruit bat
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Dobsonia
Species:
D. moluccensis
Binomial name
Dobsonia moluccensis
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1830)
Bare-backed fruit bat range
Synonyms
  • Hypoderma moluccensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1830
  • Cephalotes peronii É. Geoffroy, 1810
Dobsonia moluccensis taxidermied specimen at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova in Genoa, Italy

The bare-backed fruit bat or Moluccan naked-backed fruit bat (Dobsonia moluccensis) is a fruit bat in the family Pteropodidae.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1830 by Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard who placed it in the now-defunct bat genus Hypoderma, with the scientific name H. moluccensis.[2] Its relationship with Dobsonia magna requires further investigation.[1] Its species name "moluccensis" means "belonging to the Moluccas," which is where the species is found.

Description

Its fur is brown and its feet have distinctive white claws. It is smaller than the New Guinea naked-backed fruit bat.[3] Males weigh 380–500 g (0.84–1.10 lb) while females weigh 325–525 g (0.717–1.157 lb). Its ears are pointed, and its second digits lack claws, unlike flying foxes. Its wings attach at the back along the spine rather than along the sides of the body.[4]

Biology and ecology

The bare-backed fruit bat is a seasonal breeder, with the mating season from April to June. Females give birth from mid-August through November.[4] It is found in Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. It has been documented from 0–2,700 m (0–8,858 ft) above sea level.[1]

As of 2016, it is considered a least-concern species by the IUCN.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Tsang, S.M. (2016). "Dobsonia moluccensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T84882605A22033630. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T84882605A22033630.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Quoy, J.R.; Gaimard, J.P. (1830). Voyage de la corvette l'Astrolabe : exécuté par ordre du roi, pendant les années 1826-1827-1828-1829. Vol. 1. Paris :J. Tastu, 1830-1834. pp. 86–88.
  3. ^ Flannery, T. (1995). Mammals of the South-West Pacific & Moluccan Islands. Cornell University Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-0801431500.
  4. ^ a b Nowak, R. M. (1994). Walker's Bats of the World. JHU Press. pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-0801849862.
  • v
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Extant species of family Pteropodidae
Subfamily Nyctimeninae
Nyctimene
(tube-nosed fruit bats)
  • Broad-striped tube-nosed fruit bat (N. aello)
  • Common tube-nosed fruit bat (N. albiventer)
  • Pallas's tube-nosed bat (N. cephalotes)
  • Mountain tube-nosed fruit bat (N. certans)
  • Round-eared tube-nosed fruit bat (N. cyclotis)
  • Dragon tube-nosed fruit bat (N. draconilla)
  • Keast's tube-nosed fruit bat (N. keasti)
  • Island tube-nosed fruit bat (N. major)
  • Malaita tube-nosed fruit bat (N. malaitensis)
  • Demonic tube-nosed fruit bat (N. masalai)
  • Lesser tube-nosed bat (N. minutus)
  • Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat (N. rabori)
  • Eastern tube-nosed Bat (N. robinsoni)
  • Umboi tube-nosed fruit bat (N. vizcaccia)
Paranyctimene
  • Lesser tube-nosed fruit bat (P. raptor)
  • Steadfast tube-nosed fruit bat (P. tenax)
Subfamily Cynopterinae
Aethalops
(Pygmy fruit bats)
  • Borneo fruit bat (A. aequalis)
  • Pygmy fruit bat (A. alecto)
Alionycteris
  • Mindanao pygmy fruit bat (A. paucidentata)
Balionycteris
Chironax
  • Black-capped fruit bat (C. melanocephalus)
Cynopterus
(Dog-faced fruit bats)
  • Lesser short-nosed fruit bat (C. brachyotis)
  • Horsfield's fruit bat (C. horsfieldii)
  • Peters's fruit bat (C. luzoniensis)
  • Minute fruit bat (C. minutus)
  • Nusatenggara short-nosed fruit bat (C. nusatenggara)
  • Greater short-nosed fruit bat (C. sphinx)
  • Indonesian short-nosed fruit bat (C. titthaecheilus)
Dyacopterus
(Dayak fruit bats)
  • Brooks's dyak fruit bat (D. brooksi)
  • Rickart's dyak fruit bat (D. rickarti)
  • Dayak fruit bat (D. spadiceus)
Haplonycteris
  • Fischer's pygmy fruit bat (H. fischeri)
Latidens
  • Salim Ali's fruit bat (L. salimalii)
Megaerops
  • Tailless fruit bat (M. ecaudatus)
  • Javan tailless fruit bat (M. kusnotoi)
  • Ratanaworabhan's fruit bat (M. niphanae)
  • White-collared fruit bat (M. wetmorei)
Otopteropus
  • Luzon fruit bat (O. cartilagonodus)
Penthetor
  • Dusky fruit bat (P. lucasi)
Ptenochirus
(Musky fruit bats)
  • Greater musky fruit bat (P. jagori)
  • Lesser musky fruit bat (P. minor)
Sphaerias
  • Blanford's fruit bat (S. blanfordi)
Thoopterus
Subfamily Harpyionycterinae
Aproteles
  • Bulmer's fruit bat (A. bulmerae)
Dobsonia
(Bare-backed fruit bats)
  • Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat (D. anderseni)
  • Beaufort's naked-backed fruit bat (D. beauforti)
  • Philippine naked-backed fruit bat (D. chapmani)
  • Halmahera naked-backed fruit bat (D. crenulata)
  • Biak naked-backed fruit bat (D. emersa)
  • Sulawesi naked-backed fruit bat (D. exoleta)
  • Solomon's naked-backed fruit bat (D. inermis)
  • Lesser naked-backed fruit bat (D. minor)
  • Moluccan naked-backed fruit bat (D. moluccensis)
  • Panniet naked-backed fruit bat (D. pannietensis)
  • Western naked-backed fruit bat (D. peronii)
  • New Britain naked-backed fruit bat (D. praedatrix)
  • Greenish naked-backed fruit bat (D. viridis)
Harpyionycteris
  • Sulawesi harpy fruit bat (H. celebensis)
  • Harpy fruit bat (H. whiteheadi)
Subfamily Macroglossinae
Macroglossus
(Long-tongued fruit bats)
  • Long-tongued nectar bat (M. minimus)
  • Long-tongued fruit bat (M. sobrinus)
Melonycteris
  • Fardoulis's blossom bat (M. fardoulisi)
  • Black-bellied fruit bat (M. melanops)
  • Woodford's fruit bat (M. woodfordi)
Notopteris
(Long-tailed fruit bats)
  • Long-tailed fruit bat (N. macdonaldi)
  • New Caledonia blossom bat (N. neocaledonica)
Syconycteris
(blossom bats)
  • Common blossom bat (S. australis)
  • Halmahera blossom bat (S. carolinae)
  • Moss-forest blossom bat (S. hobbit)
Subfamily Pteropodinae
Acerodon
  • Sulawesi flying fox (A. celebensis)
  • Talaud flying fox (A. humilis)
  • Giant golden-crowned flying fox (A. jubatus)
  • Palawan fruit bat (A. leucotis)
  • Sunda flying fox (A. mackloti)
Desmalopex
  • White-winged flying fox (D. leucopterus)
  • Small white-winged flying fox (D. microleucopterus)
Eidolon
(Straw-coloured fruit bats)
  • Madagascan fruit bat (E. dupreanum)
  • Straw-coloured fruit bat (E. helvum)
Mirimiri
  • Fijian monkey-faced Bat (M. acrodonta)
Neopteryx
  • Small-toothed fruit bat (N. frosti)
Pteralopex
  • Bougainville monkey-faced Bat (P. anceps)
  • Guadalcanal monkey-faced Bat (P. atrata)
  • Greater monkey-faced Bat (P. flanneryi)
  • Montane monkey-faced Bat (P. pulchra)
  • New Georgian monkey-faced Bat (P. taki)
Pteropus
(flying foxes)
  • Admiralty flying fox (P. admiralitatum)
  • Aldabra flying fox (P. aldabrensis)
  • Black flying fox (P. alecto)
  • Small Samoan flying fox (P. allenorum)
  • Vanuatu flying fox (P. anetianus)
  • Aru flying fox (P. aruensis)
  • Ashy-headed flying fox (P. caniceps)
  • Bismarck masked flying fox (P. capistratus)
  • Moluccan flying fox (P. chrysoproctus)
  • Makira flying fox (P. cognatus)
  • Spectacled flying fox (P. conspicillatus)
  • Large Samoan flying fox (P. coxi)
  • Ryukyu flying fox (P. dasymallus)
  • New Ireland masked flying fox (P. ennisae)
  • Nicobar flying fox (P. faunulus)
  • Banks flying fox (P. fundatus)
  • Gilliard's flying fox (P. gilliardorum)
  • Gray flying fox (P. griseus)
  • Ontong Java flying fox (P. howensis)
  • Small flying fox (P. hypomelanus)
  • Andersen's flying fox (P. intermedius)
  • Kei flying fox (P. keyensis)
  • Livingstone's fruit bat (P. livingstonii)
  • Lombok flying fox (P. lombocensis)
  • Okinawa flying fox (P. loochoensis)
  • Lyle's flying fox (P. lylei)
  • Big-eared flying fox (P. macrotis)
  • Lesser flying fox (P. mahaganus)
  • Mariana fruit bat (P. mariannus)
  • Indian flying fox (P. medius)
  • Black-bearded flying fox (P. melanopogon)
  • Black-eared flying fox (P. melanotus)
  • Caroline flying fox (P. molossinus)
  • Great flying fox (P. neohibernicus)
  • Mauritian flying fox (P. niger)
  • Temotu flying fox (P. nitendiensis)
  • Ceram fruit bat (P. ocularis)
  • Ornate flying fox (P. ornatus)
  • P. pelagicus
  • Pelew flying fox (P. pelewensis)
  • Masked flying fox (P. personatus)
  • Geelvink Bay flying fox (P. pohlei)
  • Grey-headed flying fox (P. poliocephalus)
  • Bonin flying fox (P. pselaphon)
  • Little golden-mantled flying fox (P. pumilus)
  • Solomons flying fox (P. rayneri)
  • Rennell flying fox (P. rennelli)
  • Rodrigues flying fox (P. rodricensis)
  • Madagascan flying fox (P. rufus)
  • Samoa flying fox (P. samoensis)
  • Little red flying fox (P. scapulatus)
  • Seychelles fruit bat (P. seychellensis)
  • Philippine gray flying fox (P. speciosus)
  • Temminck's flying fox (P. temminckii)
  • Insular flying fox (P. tonganus)
  • Vanikoro flying fox (P. tuberculatus)
  • Kosrae flying fox (P. ualanus)
  • Large flying fox (P. vampyrus)
  • New Caledonia flying fox (P. vetulus)
  • Pemba flying fox (P. voeltzkowi)
  • Dwarf flying fox (P. woodfordi)
Styloctenium
  • Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat (S. mindorensis)
  • Sulawesi stripe-faced fruit bat (S. wallacei)
Subfamily Rousettinae
Eonycteris
(Dawn fruit bats)
  • Greater nectar bat (E. major)
  • Cave nectar bat (E. spelaea)
  • Philippine dawn bat (E. robusta)
Rousettus
(rousette fruit bats)
  • Subgenus Boneia: Manado fruit bat (R. bidens)
  • Subgenus Rousettus: Geoffroy's rousette (R. amplexicaudatus)
  • Sulawesi rousette (R. celebensis)
  • Egyptian rousette (R. aegyptiacus)
  • Leschenault's rousette (R. leschenaulti)
  • Linduan Rousette (R. linduensis)
  • Comoro rousette (R. obliviosus)
  • Bare-backed rousette (R. spinalatus)
  • Subgenus Stenonycteris: Long-haired rousette (R. lanosus)
  • Madagascan rousette (R. madagascariensis)
Subfamily Epomophorinae
Epomophorini
Epomophorus
(Epauleted fruit bats)
  • Angolan epauletted fruit bat (E. angolensis)
  • Ansell's epauletted fruit bat (E. anselli)
  • Peters's epauletted fruit bat (E. crypturus)
  • Gambian epauletted fruit bat (E. gambianus)
  • Lesser Angolan epauletted fruit bat (E. grandis)
  • Ethiopian epauletted fruit bat (E. labiatus)
  • East African epauletted fruit bat (E. minimus)
  • Minor epauletted fruit bat (E. minor)
  • Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat (E. wahlbergi)
Epomops
(Epauleted bats)
  • Buettikofer's epauletted fruit bat (E. buettikoferi)
  • Dobson's fruit bat (E. dobsoni)
  • Franquet's epauletted fruit bat (E. franqueti)
Hypsignathus
  • Hammer-headed Bat (H. monstrosus)
Micropteropus
(Dwarf epauleted bats)
  • Hayman's dwarf epauletted fruit bat (M. intermedius)
  • Peters' dwarf epauletted fruit bat (M. pusillus)
Nanonycteris
  • Veldkamp's dwarf epauletted fruit bat (N. veldkampii)
Myonycterini
Lissonycteris
  • Angolan rousette (L. angolensis)
Megaloglossus
  • Azagnyi fruit bat (M. azagnyi)
  • Woermann's bat (M. woermanni)
Myonycteris
(Little collared fruit bats)
  • São Tomé collared fruit bat (M. brachycephala)
  • East African little collared fruit bat (M. relicta)
  • Little collared fruit bat (M. torquata)
Plerotini
Plerotes
  • D'Anchieta's fruit bat (P. anchietae)
Scotonycterini
Casinycteris
  • Short-palated fruit bat (C. argynnis)
  • Campo-Ma’an fruit bat (C. campomaanensis)
  • Pohle's fruit bat (C. ophiodon)
Scotonycteris
  • Zenker's fruit bat (S. zenkeri)
Taxon identifiers
Dobsonia moluccensis