Swift fruit bat
Species of bat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The swift fruit bat (Thoopterus nigrescens) is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae.[2]
| Swift fruit bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Pteropodidae |
| Genus: | Thoopterus |
| Species: | T. nigrescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Thoopterus nigrescens (Gray, 1870) | |
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| Swift fruit bat range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
The swift fruit bat was initially described in 1870 by British zoologist John Edward Gray.[3] He placed it in the genus Cynopterus, with a name of Cynopterus marginatus var. nigrescens. The type specimen had been collected on the Indonesian island of Morotai by Alfred Russel Wallace.[4]
In 1899, German zoologist Paul Matschie created the subgenus Thoopterus within Cynopterus, into which he placed Cynopterus nigrescens.[5][3] By 1912, Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen classified Thoopterus as a full genus, with T. nigrescens as the type species.[6]
Description
The combined length of the head and body is 94–109 mm (3.7–4.3 in), with a forearm length of 70–82 mm (2.8–3.2 in). Individuals weigh about 67–99 g (2.4–3.5 oz). The fur is grayish-brown.[7]
Range and habitat
The swift fruit bat is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found on the following islands: Sulawesi, Buton, Mangole, Wawonii, the Talaud and Sangihe archipelagos, and likely Morotai. It is found at elevations between 0–2,400 m (0–7,874 ft) above sea level. It seems to prefer intact forests, though will also utilize disturbed forests.[1]