Pteropus rodricensis Dobson 1878
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 rodricensis

description: 181.
Rodrigues Flying Fox
Pteropus rodricensis
French: Roussette de Rodrigues / German: Rodrigues-Flughund / Spanish: Zorro volador Rodrigues
Other common names: Golden Bat of Rodrigues, Rodrigues Fruit Bat
Taxonomy. Pteropus rodricensis Dobson, 1878,
“Island of Rodrigues,” Mascarene Islands.
Pteropus rodricensis is in the vampyrus species group. Pteropus mascarinus is considered a synonym. Monotypic.
Distribution. Rodrigues 1 in the Mascarenes. Specimen from Round I might be a vagrant from Rodrigues ..
Descriptive notes. Head-body 150- 200 mm (tailless), ear 21-22 mm, hindfoot 39-43 mm, forearm 121:2-125- 9 mm (males) and 123-3-128- 4 mm (females); weight 278 g (mean). Muzzle of the Rodrigues Flying Fox is short and narrow; rhinarium is black, with short tubular nostrils and median furrow. Eyes are small and close to each other, with brown irises. Ears are very short, almost concealed in fur, wide at base, and pointed. Pelage is highly variable in shades of brown. Fur is long and silky; concealed bases of hairs are dark brown. Head is brown, sometimes with lighter patch on forehead. Mantle is not sharply defined from crown; fur is very long, rich orange ocherous, fading into cream buff posteriorly. Back contrasts with mantle; fur is dark brown or blackish, sometimes conspicuously frosted, and directed backward. Tibia is dark and furred. Chest is ocherous brown, belly is brown and frosted, and anal region is lighter. Genitals are black, concealed in fur. Uropatagium is reduced; calcar 1s small. Wing membranes are black and originate from sides of body, slightly above medial plane. Skull is typical pteropine, moderately robust with relatively short, narrow rostrum, small orbits, low sagittal crest, and rather thick mandible. Palatal ridge pattern is 5 + 5 + 3. I and M, are reduced; P' is early deciduous. Canine cingula and posterior basal ledges on premolars and molars are strong; canines are longer in males.
Habitat. Primary and secondary forests from sea level up to elevations of 400 m, the highest point on Rodrigues. The Rodrigues Flying Fox can colonize landscapes dominated by introduced plants in rural areas.
Food and Feeding. The Rodrigues Flying Fox eats fruits of native and introduced species, including Tamarindus (Fabaceae); Eugenia (Myrtaceae); Mangifera (Anacardiaceae); Pandanus (Pandanaceae); Hyophorbe and possibly Latania (both Arecaceae); Pyrosria (Rubiaceae), Terminalia (Combretaceae), and Ficus (Moraceae). It also eats flowers and young leaves. It might be a key pollinator and seed disperser. It also catches and eats insects.
Breeding. The Rodrigues Flying Fox is seasonally monoestrous and polygynous; mating occurs between dominant males and their harem females. Gestation lasts ¢.198 days. Young are born furred with opened eyes; they remain attached to their mothers for ¢.30 days and then are left behind in roosts when mothers forage. Females are seen with dependent young from late August through early February. Flight begins at 60-90 days old. Weaning normally occurs at 10-11 weeks old. Young remain with mothers for c.1 year. Maximum longevity was 28 years in captivity. Population growth rate is 12-15% /year. Genetic variability is preserved in natural and captive populations.
Activity patterns. The Rodrigues Flying Fox is nocturnal. There are intense interactions in day roosts. They fly to defended feeding territories and visit feeding areas at dusk, returning before dawn. They roost in large trees.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Rodrigues Flying Fox is gregarious and roosts colonially. Nine major roosts are known, which are considered permanent. Several more recently established roosts exist, likely in recovered forest areas. There are three types of associations in roosts: harems with one adult male and up to eight females, groups of subadults of both sexes, and individuals roosting alone, most often males. Harem females defend their roosting areas. At night, individuals regroup differently and fly to feeding territories. Adult males defend feeding territories to which females are admitted.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Endangered on The [UCN Red List. The Rodrigues Flying Fox occurs in a single location, and its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy are small (both less than 500 km?). It was historically abundant, but it declined during the 20" century due to deforestation, hunting, and impact of cyclones with mortalities above 50% after cyclones. Population crashed in the late 1970s after cyclones hit the island, reducing the total population to ¢.70 individuals. The population rebounded, but with great fluctuations, to ¢.20,000 bats in 2016. It is protected from hunting, and deforestation is limited; however, it remains highly vulnerable to cyclones. Human-wildlife conflict exists given its tendency to use cultivated fruits. It is protected by the Native Terrestrial Biodiversity and National Parks Act of the Republic of Mauritius of 2015. Currently, a systematic monitoring scheme is in place. Up to 80% of the population occurs in protected areas. It is subject to educational programs, it is included in international legislation, and its management and trade are controlled internationally. An ex-situ captive breeding program initiated in 1974 by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust in cooperation with the Government of Mauritius today includes colonies established in 46 zoos around the World. No reintroduction to its native land has taken place. Habitat restoration is the main conservation action needed now.
Bibliography. Almeida et al. (2014), Andersen (1912b), Bergmans (1991), Courts (1997), Mickleburgh et al. (1992), O'Brien, Mariani et al. (2009), O'Brien, McCracken et al. (2007), Szekely et al. (2015), Tatayah et al. (2017).
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 158, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6448815