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| Philippine Gray Flying Fox Pteropus speciosus K. Andersen, 1908 |
| Common Names: Paniki, kabag,
bayakan Status: Unknown; geographically restricted. IUCN: Vulnerable. CITES: Appendix II. Habitat: Virtually unknown. Recent reports from Tawi-tawi indicate that they are represented by at least several large colonies Distribution: Two islands in the Java sea, Indonesia and the Mindanao and Sulu faunal regions. Description / Behavior: Head and body length is 170-406 mm, forearm length is 85-228 mm, and wingspan is 610-1,700 mm; there is no tail. The principal food of Pteropus is fruit juices, which the bats obtain by squeezing pieces of the fruit pulp in their mouths. They swallow the juice and spit out the pulp and seeds. If the pulp is very soft, like banana, they swallow some of it. They also chew eucalyptus and probably other flowers to obtain the juices and pollen. They drink while flying to and from their feeding and sleeping locations. Some drink sea water, apparently to obtain mineral salts lacking in the plant food. Pteropus maintains a body temperature of 33°-37° C; during cool weather, this temperature range is maintained by constant activity. These mammals have a very noticeable characteristic odor.
Comments:Includes P. mearnsi (Heaney et al., 1987); may be conspecific
with P. griseus (Mickleburgh et al., 1992). Some previous reports from Cebu,
Mactan, and Negros were based on subadult P.
hypomelanus. Conservation Efforts/Measures: Bat Learning Center Photograph Information: Courtesy of the JHU. Not actual subspecies picture - just an example to show what the Pteropus GENUS looks like |
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