The Aru flying fox (''Pteropus aruensis'') is a Critically Endangered species of

megabat Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera ''Acerodon'' and ''Pteropus''—flying foxes. They are the only member of the su ...

found in the

Aru Islands The Aru Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Aru) is a group of about 95 low-lying islands in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It also forms a regency of Maluku Province, with a land area of . At the 2011 Census the Regency had a po ...

in Indonesia. It was described by

Wilhelm Peters Wilhelm Karl Hartwich (or Hartwig) Peters (22 April 1815 in Koldenbüttel – 20 April 1883) was a German natural history, naturalist and explorer. He was assistant to the anatomist Johannes Peter Müller and later became curator of the Natural ...

in 1867. It was formerly considered a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

black-bearded flying fox The black-bearded flying fox (''Pteropus melanopogon'') is an endangered species of megabat in the genus '' Pteropus''. It is endemic to Indonesia, found on the islands of Ambon, Buru, Seram, Banda, and Yamdena. Currently considered monotypi ...

.Simmons, N.B. 2005. Order Chiroptera. Pp. 312–529 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.)
Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference
3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. . Simmons, N.B. 2005. Order Chiroptera. Pp. 312–529 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.)
Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference
3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. The species is poorly known, and has not been encountered since the 19th century. It is classified as critically endangered by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

and is listed on

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

appendix II.

Taxonomy

As the

Pteropus ''Pteropus'' (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Austra ...

genus is quite speciose, it is further divided into species groups. The Aru flying fox is placed in the ''livingstonii'' species group. Other members of this species group include: *

Livingstone's fruit bat Livingstone's fruit bat (''Pteropus livingstonii''), also called the Comoro flying fox, is a megabat in the genus ''Pteropus''. It is an Old World fruit bat found only in the Anjouan and Mohéli islands in the Union of the Comoros in the western I ...

(''P. livingstonii'') *

Black-bearded flying fox The black-bearded flying fox (''Pteropus melanopogon'') is an endangered species of megabat in the genus '' Pteropus''. It is endemic to Indonesia, found on the islands of Ambon, Buru, Seram, Banda, and Yamdena. Currently considered monotypi ...

(''P. melanopogon'') *

Kei flying fox The Kei flying fox (''Pteropus keyensis'') is a species of megabat in the genus ''Pteropus'' found in the Kai Islands of Indonesia. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the black-bearded flying fox (''Pteropus melanopogon'').D.E. Wilson & D. ...

(''P. keyensis'')Tsang, S. M. (2015). Phylogeography of Southeast Asian flying foxes (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae: Pteropus). City University of New York. There is ongoing debate about whether the Aru flying fox is a distinct species. Some believe that it is a subspecies of the black-bearded flying fox,Laurie, E.M.O. and Hill, J.E. 1954. List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands 1758-1952. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), London, UK. while others believe that it is distinct enough to be considered a species.Bergmans, W. 2001. Notes on distribution and taxonomy of Australasian bats. I. Pteropodinae and Nyctimeninae (Mammalia, Megachiroptera, Pteropodidae). Beaufortia 8(51): 119-152.

Description

They are similar in appearance to the black-bearded flying fox. The fronts of their heads are a combination of gray, black, and yellowish-white. The backs of their heads are rust-colored, and their chins are a deep red. Their necks are rust or rust-brown in color, creating the appearance of a chestnut collar. Their backs are glossy, yellowish-white, with some black hairs sprinkled throughout. Their lower ventral sides are variable in color, and can be black and rusty yellow, or black and rusty brown. Their upper ventral sides along the sternum are dark brown to black. Their forearms are long.

Conservation

This species is possibly extinct. In 2017, a statistical model assessed the extinction probability of 23 mammal species that have been missing since the 19th century. The Aru flying fox was one of the five species that the model determined was almost certainly extinct. There has not been a confirmed sighting of this species since 1877.Lee, T. E., Fisher, D. O., Blomberg, S. P., & Wintle, B. A. (2017). Extinct or still out there? Disentangling influences on extinction and rediscovery helps to clarify the fate of species on the edge. Global change biology, 23(2), 621-634. The

currently lists this species as critically endangered on the basis that there are most likely fewer than 50 remaining. Expeditions sponsored by the

Western Australia Museum The Western Australian Museum is a statutory authority within the Culture and the Arts Portfolio, established under the ''Museum Act 1969''. The museum has six main sites. The state museum, now known as WA Museum Boola Bardip, officially re-op ...

in the 1990s were unsuccessful in locating any individuals. However, a toothless jawbone discovered in 1992 "probably represents this species." It is a large and colorful bat, so it is speculated that hunting played a role in its decline and possible extinction.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q135144 Pteropus Bats of Indonesia Endemic fauna of Indonesia Fauna of the Aru Islands Critically endangered fauna of Asia Mammals described in 1867 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters