Pteropus faunulus G. S. Miller 1902
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 faunulus

description: 159.
Nicobar Flying Fox
Pteropus faunulus
French: Roussette des Nicobar / German: Nikobaren-Flughund / Spanish: Zorro volador de Nicobar
Taxonomy. Pteropus faunulus G. S. Miller, 1902,
“Car Nicobar [Island],” Nicobar Islands, India.
Pteropus faunulus was formerly included in P. hypomelanus; it probably belongs in the griseus species group. Monotypic.
Distribution. Nicobar Is (Teressa, Bompoka, Camorta, Trinkat, Nankowry, and Katchall). Probably extinct on Car Nicobar.
Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢. 170 mm (tailless), ear ¢. 22 mm, hindfoot ¢. 36 mm, forearm 110-130 mm; weight 112-233 g. Greatest lengths of skulls are c¢.54- 5 mm. The Nicobar Flying Fox has big eyes, warm brown irises, and triangular ears, narrowly rounded at tips. Shiny and dense fur on back is blackish brown, with hint of red and some silvery hairs; head is more grizzled. Shoulders and venter are ocher-yellow to grayish chestnut-brown. Hair is longer and underparts are paler than on the Island Flying Fox (P. hypomelanus). Uropatagium is reduced to narrow membrane along inside of lower limbs. Claw on index finger is well developed. Skull is narrow, with pointed rostrum. Interorbital area is wider than in larger related species, and postorbital processes are relatively robust. In general, the Nicobar Flying Fox has smaller teeth and skull than the Island Flying Fox.
Habitat. Tropical and subtropical moist forests and mangrove swamps from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 200 m.
Food and Feeding. The Nicobar Flying Fox feeds on fruits of Bombax (Malvaceae), Syzygium (Myrtaceae), Ficus (Moraceae), Psidium (Myrtaceae), Mangifera (Anacardiaceae), and Ceiba (Malvaceae).
Breeding. Births of Nicobar Flying Foxes occur in rainy seasons when preferred food trees bloom. Litters have one young.
Activity patterns. The Nicobar Flying Fox is nocturnal, but some daytime activity occurs. It is often observed in wild Areca (Arecaceae) nut palms. It prefers to forage below forest canopies at 15-20 m, probably to avoid the larger Black-eared Flying Fox (P. melanotus). Search for food begins after sunset and ends in early morning hours.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Nicobar Flying Foxes generally roost alone, in pairs, or rarely in small groups in tree hollows and under fronds of big trees. Roosts of males tend to be closer to foraging areas (2-1-12- 3 km) than those of females (7-5-10- 8 km). They forage alone.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Habitat loss from deforestation is a big threat. The Nicobar Flying Fox is hunted because it is believed to cure asthma. It is also occasionally kept as a pet. Effect of the tsunami in December 2004 is unclear. Additional studies are needed to clarify its conservation status.
Bibliography. Almeida et al. (2014), Andersen (1908b, 1912b), Aul (2007), Aul & Vijayakumar (2003), Aul et al. (2014), Bates & Harrison (1997), Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1951), Hill (1967), Kingston, Molur & Srinivasulu (2008), Miller (1902b), Molur et al. (2002), Simmons (2005), Srinivasulu, C. et al. (2010).
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 147, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6448815