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| Luzon Pygmy Fruit Bat Otopteropus cartilagonodus Kock, 1969 |
| Common Names: Paniki, kabag, bayakan
Status:Apparently stable, because of its primary use of middle and upper elevation forest, but poorly known. IUCN: Endangered (but we consider the listing to be premature). Habitat:Known only from primary and well-developed secondary forest, in lowland, montane, and mossy forest from 200 m to 1900 m. Abundance is low to moderate, usually most common at middle elevations (Kock, 1969c.; Mickleburgh et al., 1992; Ruedas et al., 1994; Utzurrum, 1992; Heaney et al., in press). Distribution: widespread on Luzon Island. Recorded from Abra, Aurora, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Isabela, Laguna, Nueva Viscaya, Quezon, and Zambales provinces. The single species, O. cartilagonodus, is known only from seven specimens taken in Mountain and Isabella provinces in northern Luzon, Philippines (Kock 1969c; Mudar and Allen 1986). Description / Behavior: This is a very small, long-haired, and tailless flying fox related to Cynopterus. Head and body length is 55-73 mm, forearm length is about 46-48 mm, and two specimens weighed 17 and 21 grams. The coloration of the back is dark blackish brown; the belly is lighter, with more gray coloration. The hairs on the middle of the breast and belly are tipped with white. The eyes in Otopteropus are very large. The most noteworthy character of the genus is the ears, the edges of which are marked with reddish thickenings. On the front edge of the ear the thickening is less broad than it is thick; on the hind edge is a well-marked lobe. The naked nose has tubular nostrils. Although there is no tail, a cartilaginous calcarium is present. The uropatagium is thickly furred on the upper side and on the distal edge of the underside. The tibia are thickly furred, but the feet and toes only thinly so. The wing membranes have a reticulated pattern. The dental formula for this genus is: (i 1/1, c 1/1, pm 3/3, m 1/1) × 2 = 24. The few known specimens have been taken in mountainous areas, and the long, thick hair suggests adaptation for higher altitudes. Kock (1969c) wrote that the big eyes and small hearing apparatus of this genus, as well as the relatively narrow teeth and weak lower jaw, indicate a very species-specific kind of life for this bat. Mudar and Allen (1986) collected a pregnant female on 30 April.
Comments: Reproductive biology documented by Heideman et al. (1993). Conservation Efforts/Measures: Bat Learning Center Photograph Information: Courtesy of "A Synopsis of the Mammalian Fauna of the Philippine Islands" by ©2002 (photograph by L. Heaney) |
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