Black Flying-fox
Encyclopedia
The Black Flying-Fox, Pteropus alecto, is a megabat
in the family Pteropodidae. Members of the genus Pteropus
include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species. The genus is primarily an island taxon, with 55 species having some or all of their distribution on islands.
have been described as a separate species, Pteropus banakrisi. This supposed species was known as the "Torresian Flying-Fox" or "Moa Island Fruit Bat".
(Pteropus poliocephalus), the Spectacled Flying-Fox (Pteropus conspicillatus), and/or the Little Red Flying-Fox (Pteropus scapulatus). They roost in mangroves, paperbark swamps, patches of rainforest and bamboo forests, and very rarely in caves or underneath overhangs.
, Lilypillies, paperbark
and turpentine tree
s. When native foods are scarce, particularly during drought, the bats may take introduced or commercial fruits such as mango
s and apple
s. This species had been known to travel up to 50 km a night in search of food.
As a disease vector
Negative public perception of the species has intensified with the discovery of three recently emerged zoonotic
virus
es that are potentially fatal to humans: Australian bat lyssavirus
, Hendra virus, and Menangle virus
. However, only Australian bat lyssavirus is known from two isolated cases to be directly transmissible from bats to humans.
when reported as injured, sick, orphaned or abandoned. A very high proportion of adult flying-fox injuries are caused by entanglement in barbed wire fences or loose, improperly erected fruit tree netting, both of which can result in very serious injuries and a slow, agonizing death for the animal if not rescued quickly.
If you find a bat in distress, leave it be but immediately contact one of the above care and rescue organisations. Bat carers are specially trained in techniques to rescue and rehabilitate bats, and although the chance of contracting Australian bat lyssavirus is extremely small, carers are inoculated for their own protection.
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. Members of the genus Pteropus
Pteropus
Bats of the genus Pteropus, belonging to the megabat or Megachiroptera sub-order, are the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as the fruit bats or flying foxes among other colloquial names...
include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species. The genus is primarily an island taxon, with 55 species having some or all of their distribution on islands.
Taxonomy
Juvenile specimens of this species from Moa Island in Torres StraitTorres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
have been described as a separate species, Pteropus banakrisi. This supposed species was known as the "Torresian Flying-Fox" or "Moa Island Fruit Bat".
Physical characteristics
The Black Flying-Fox has short black hair with a contrasting reddish-brown mantle with a mean forearm length of 164 mm (6.46 in) and a mean weight of 710 grams (1.57 lb). It is one of the largest bat species in the world, and has a wing-span of more than one metre.Distribution
Black Flying-Foxes are native to Australia (NSW, Qld, NT and WA), Papua New Guinea (Western Province) and Indonesia (West Papua, Sulawesi, Sumba, and Savu).Roosting habits
During the day individuals reside in large roosts (colonies or 'camps') consisting of hundreds to tens of thousands of individuals. They sometimes share their roosts with the Grey-headed Flying-FoxGrey-headed Flying Fox
The Grey-headed Flying-Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is a megabat native to Australia.Members of the genus Pteropus include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species....
(Pteropus poliocephalus), the Spectacled Flying-Fox (Pteropus conspicillatus), and/or the Little Red Flying-Fox (Pteropus scapulatus). They roost in mangroves, paperbark swamps, patches of rainforest and bamboo forests, and very rarely in caves or underneath overhangs.
Reproduction
Black Flying-Foxes breed once a year. A single young is born and carried by its mother for the first month of life, after which it is left behind in the roost when the mother is out foraging at night.Diet
Black Flying-Foxes eat pollen and nectar from native eucalyptusEucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
, Lilypillies, paperbark
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
and turpentine tree
Turpentine Tree
Turpentine tree may refer to:* Canarium australianum , native to Australia and Papua New Guinea* Pistacia terebinthus , native to the Mediterranean region and also the Canary Islands...
s. When native foods are scarce, particularly during drought, the bats may take introduced or commercial fruits such as 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...
s and apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s. This species had been known to travel up to 50 km a night in search of food.
Conservation
The Black Flying-Fox is not listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List; nevertheless, the species is exposed to several threatening processes, including loss of foraging and roosting habitat, and mass die-offs caused by extreme temperature events. When present in urban environments Black Flying-Foxes are sometimes perceived as a nuisance. Because the roosting and foraging habits of the Black Flying-Fox bring the species into conflict with humans, it suffers from direct killing of animals in orchards and harassment and destruction of roosts.As a disease vectorVectorVector, a Latin word meaning "carrier", may refer in English to:-In computer science:*A one-dimensional array**Vector , a data type in the C++ Standard Template Library...
Negative public perception of the species has intensified with the discovery of three recently emerged zoonoticZoonosis
A zoonosis or zoonoseis any infectious disease that can be transmitted from non-human animals to humans or from humans to non-human animals . In a study of 1415 pathogens known to affect humans, 61% were zoonotic...
virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es that are potentially fatal to humans: Australian bat lyssavirus
Australian bat lyssavirus
Australian bat lyssavirus is a zoonotic virus closely related to rabies virus. It was first identified in a 5-month old juvenile Black Flying Fox collected near Ballina in northern New South Wales, Australia in 1996 during a national surveillance program for the recently identified Hendra virus...
, Hendra virus, and Menangle virus
Menangle virus
Menangle virus is a virus that infects pigs, humans and bats.-History:Menangle virus was first identified in 1997 after a piggery in Menangle near Sydney, NSW, Australia experienced a high number of stillbirths and deformities during farrowing. Two workers at the piggery came down with an...
. However, only Australian bat lyssavirus is known from two isolated cases to be directly transmissible from bats to humans.
Wildlife rescue
Flying-foxes often come to the attention of Australian wildlife care and rescue organisations such as Wildcare Australia, ONARR, Wildlife Carers Darling Downs, Bat Care, Bat Rescue, Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers, and WIRESNSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service
WIRES - NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service isthe largest wildlife rehabilitation charity in Australia. It is a non-profit organisation providing rescue and rehabilitation for all native Australian fauna. All animal rescuers and carers are volunteers...
when reported as injured, sick, orphaned or abandoned. A very high proportion of adult flying-fox injuries are caused by entanglement in barbed wire fences or loose, improperly erected fruit tree netting, both of which can result in very serious injuries and a slow, agonizing death for the animal if not rescued quickly.
If you find a bat in distress, leave it be but immediately contact one of the above care and rescue organisations. Bat carers are specially trained in techniques to rescue and rehabilitate bats, and although the chance of contracting Australian bat lyssavirus is extremely small, carers are inoculated for their own protection.