Pteropus capistratus Peters 1876
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Pteropodidae
Pteropus
Pteropus capistratus

description: 161.
New Britain Masked Flying Fox
Pteropus capistratus
French: Roussette bridée / German: Neubritannien-Flughund / Spanish: Zorro volador de Nueva Bretana
Other common names: Bismarck Flying Fox, Bismarck Masked Flying Fox
Taxonomy. Pteropus capistratus Peters, 1876,
“Neu-Irland [= New Ireland],” Papua New Guinea.
Doubt has been cast on the validity of Peters’s type locality. After examining existing museum specimens collected about the time capistratus was named, T. F. Flannery and J. P. White in 1991 eould not decide if the type locality was New Ireland or New Britain, so Peter’s “Neu-Irland” stands until additional clarification is possible. Pteropus capistratus was long considered a subspecies of P. temminckii, but it is clearly distinct. It formerly included two subspecies, nominate and ennisae, the latter is considered a valid species based on morphological and genetic differences. Pteropus capistratus is in the capistratus species group with P. ennisae. Monotypic.
Distribution. Bismarck Archipelago (Duke ofYork, Mioko, New Britain, Sakar, and Umboi Is).
Descriptive notes. Head-body 145-192 mm (tailless), ear 18-26 mm, hindfoot 31- 45 mm, forearm 102-122 mm; weight 165-290 g. The New Britain Masked Flying Fox is heavily furred, with wings depigmented in dendritic pattern. Muzzle is short and narrow, rhinarium is dark reddish brown, eyes are large, and irises are medium brown. Ears are broad and triangular, with rounded tips. Head has distinctive white facial mask, broken and framed by darker lines. Two dark bands emanate from back of muzzle and unite to form single band passing from between eyes over forehead and toward crown, and two transverse bands pass from lateral parts of muzzle beneath eye and toward temple, uniting with two lines that traverse lowerjaw and angle up toward temple. Mantle hairs are bicolored, with dark brown bases and yellow or reddish tips. Dorsal hairs are also bicolored, with gray white bases and hoary brown tips. Males have bristly hairs surrounding shoulder glands. Venteris light brown, and ventral surface oftibia is unfurred. Wing membranes are light brown and strikingly marked with dark brown veins. Membranes attach to sides of body. Skull is delicately built, with basicranial deflection pronounced, short and thin rostrum, large orbits, long postorbital process, postorbital constriction, and sagittal and nuchal crests not marked. Dentition is relatively weak, with posterior basal ledges of premolars present but short.
Habitat. Secondary forests and hill forests up to elevations of ¢. 1200 m.
Food and Feeding. Two New Britain Masked Flying Foxes were observed feeding on introduced Muntingia calabura (Muntingiaceae) at ¢.02:00 h on New Britain Island.
Breeding. A female New Britain Masked Flying Fox captured in July on New Britain was post-lactating; a second captured in August was carrying a young that was deposited on a tree when disturbed. Estrogenic lactation, probably dysfunctional, has been reported in males.
Activity patterns. New Britain Masked Flying Foxes are nocturnal and roostin foliage of mid-stories. One individual was encountered roosting under leaves of a Heliconia (Heliconiaceae) on New Britain.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. New Britain Masked Flying Foxes seem to roost alone, in pairs, or in small family groups. They emit birdlike trills that might serve as a mother—infant, or within-family, contact call.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The 2010 assessment included former subspecies (capistratus and ennisae) and thus needs revision. The New Britain Masked Flying Fox appears to be uncommon. Widespread habitat loss is a threat, but some degree of tolerance toward habitat disturbance has been noted.
Bibliography. Andersen (1912b), Bonaccorso (1998), Flannery (1995a), Flannery & White (1991), Hamilton et al. (2010), Racey, D.N. et al. (2009), Smith & Hood (1981).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, pp. 16-162 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 149, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6448815