All rights reserved. This document may be used, with this header included, for noncommercial purposes within a subscribed institution . No copies of this work may be distributed electronically outside of the subscribed institution, in whole or in part, without written permission from the JHU Press . Head and body length is about 100 mm, tail length is about 60 mm, and forearm length is 60-72 mm. Notopteris is the only member of the family Pteropodidae with a long, free tail.
Coloration is olive brown to dark brown, and neck tufts are lacking.
Notopteris resembles Dobsonia in that it lacks a claw on the index finger and has the wing membranes attached along the midline of the back, thus covering the fur on the back of the body. The tongue is like those of other bats in the subfamily Macroglossinae, that is, long, slender, protrusible, and with bristlelike papillae. This bat frequently roosts in caves, though natives on New Caledonia have seen them roosting in hollow trees. Their roosting habits are similar to those of some of the Microchiroptera, especially Tadarida brasiliensis. The diet is assumed to comprise nectar, pollen, and the juices of fruits.