HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The giant golden-crowned flying fox (''Acerodon jubatus''), also known as the golden-capped fruit bat, is a
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
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 ...
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. Since its description in 1831, three subspecies of the giant golden-crowned flying fox have been recognized, one of which is extinct. The extinct subspecies (''A. jubatus lucifer'') was formerly recognized as a full species, the Panay golden-crowned flying fox. Formerly, this species was placed in the genus '' Pteropus''; while it is no longer within the genus, it has many physical similarities to ''Pteropus'' megabats. It is one of the largest bat species in the world, weighing up to —only the Indian and
great flying fox The great flying fox (''Pteropus neohibernicus''), also known as the greater flying fox or Bismarck flying fox, is a species of megabat in the genus ''Pteropus'', found throughout lowland areas of New Guinea and in the Bismarck Archipelago. Confl ...
can weigh more. It has the longest documented forearm length of any bat species at . It is primarily frugivorous, consuming several kinds of fig and some leaves. It forages at night and sleeps during the day in tree roosts. These roosts can consist of thousands of individuals, often including another species, the large flying fox. Not much is known about its reproduction; it gives birth annually from April through June, with females having one pup at a time. Predators of the giant golden-crowned flying fox include raptors such as eagles, the reticulated python, and humans. Owing to
deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then land conversion, converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban area, urban ...
and poaching for
bushmeat Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption, most often referring to the meat of game in Africa. Bushmeat represents a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity for inhabitants of humid tro ...
, it is an
endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
species. Though national and international law makes hunting and trade of this species illegal, these regulations are inadequately enforced, meaning that the species is frequently hunted nonetheless. Even in roosts that are more stringently protected from poaching, it is still affected by human disturbance via tourists who intentionally disturb them during the day.


Taxonomy

The giant golden-crowned flying fox was described as a new species in 1831 by German naturalist
Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz Johann Friedrich Gustav von Eschscholtz (1 November 1793 – 7 May 1831)Sterling (1997) was a Baltic German physician, naturalist, and entomologist. He was one of the earliest scientific explorers of the Pacific region, making significant collect ...
. Eschscholtz placed it in the genus '' Pteropus'' with a scientific name of ''Pteropus jubatus''. Its
species name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bo ...
"''jubatus''" is from
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
, meaning "having a mane or crest, crested". The
holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of seve ...
had been collected on the Philippine island of
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, ...
during an expedition led by
Otto von Kotzebue Otto von Kotzebue (russian: О́тто Евста́фьевич Коцебу́, tr. ;  – ) was a Russian officer and navigator in the Imperial Russian Navy. He was born in Reval. He was known for his explorations of Oceania. Early life ...
. The genus '' Acerodon'' was described six years later in 1837, with ''A. jubatus'' as the type species for the new genus. As of 2005, three subspecies of the giant golden-crowned flying fox are recognized: *''A. jubatus jubatus'' (Eschscholtz, 1831) *''A. jubatus mindanensis'' K. Andersen, 1909 *''A. jubatus lucifer'' ( Elliot, 1896) ''A. jubatus lucifer'' had been described as ''Pteropus lucifer'' in 1896 by
Daniel Giraud Elliot Daniel Giraud Elliot (March 7, 1835 – December 22, 1915) was an American zoologist and the founder of the American Ornithologist Union. Life He was born in New York City on March 7, 1835, to George and Rebecca Elliot. In 1858, he married Ann ...
. ''A. jubatus lucifer'', commonly the Panay golden-crowned flying fox, is still sometimes considered an extinct species of megabat. A 1998 publication noted that there were no morphological differences that distinguish ''A. jubatus lucifer'' from ''A. jubatus''. This publication was used by '' Mammal Species of the World'' and the IUCN as justification as listing ''A. jubatus lucifer'' as a subspecies of ''A. jubatus'' rather than as a full species.


Description

Overall, the giant golden-crowned flying fox is similar in appearance to many ''Pteropus'' species. It is different in its smaller
canine teeth In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dog teeth, or (in the context of the upper jaw) fangs, eye teeth, vampire teeth, or vampire fangs, are the relatively long, pointed teeth. They can appear more flattened however ...
and its larger and more complex molars and premolars. Its upper incisors are slightly longer than ''Pteropus'' species, as well as sharper. Its four lower incisors have a greater disparity in length between the inner and outer pair than do ''Pteropus''. Its
dental formula Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolog ...
is for a total of 34 teeth. The giant golden-crowned flying fox is one of the largest bat species in the world. It is among the heaviest of all bat species, with individuals weighing up to . The only bat species known to weigh more than the giant golden-crowned flying fox are the Indian flying fox (''Pteropus medius'') and
great flying fox The great flying fox (''Pteropus neohibernicus''), also known as the greater flying fox or Bismarck flying fox, is a species of megabat in the genus ''Pteropus'', found throughout lowland areas of New Guinea and in the Bismarck Archipelago. Confl ...
(''Pteropus neohibernicus''), with a maximum weight of and respectively. It has the longest forearm length of any species, measuring up to . The great flying fox has a slightly shorter forearm length, and its wingspan is thus presumed to be lesser as well. The wingspan of the Indian flying fox is up to , while the giant golden-crowned flying fox has a wingspan of . This species is somewhat dimorphic, with males slightly larger than females in many cranial and external measurements. The giant golden-crowned flying fox gets its common name from its fur coloration. It has golden coloration that begins between its eyes and terminates to a narrow "V" shape at the nape of its neck, though sometimes extending to the upper shoulders. The sides of its face, brows, and throat are black, while the sides of its neck and upper back are maroon; this maroon fur transitions into brownish black, which then grades into reddish brown down the back. On its ventral (belly) side, its fur is generally black, though the front of the neck may have a maroon tinge and its belly may be interspersed with yellow hairs. Its hindlimbs are covered with brownish black fur, and its flight membranes are pale brown.


Biology and ecology


Diet and foraging

The giant golden-crowned flying fox is largely frugivorous, though it also consumes plant leaves ( folivorous). One study found that it is particularly dependent on ''
Ficus ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending int ...
'' fruits (figs), with ''Ficus'' seeds found in 79% of all fecal pellets. Especially common ''Ficus'' seeds were from the ''
Urostigma A banyan, also spelled "banian", is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adventitious prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as a ...
'' subgenus (which includes ''Ficus'' species commonly referred to as banyan), as well as '' Ficus variegata''. The results support that the primary food group is composed of fig species, including ''
Ficus subcordata ''Ficus subcordata''von Blume CL (1825) In: ''Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie'' 440. is a banyan fig species in the family Moraceae. No subspecies are listed in the Catalogue of Life. The species can be found in Indo-china, Ma ...
'' and unidentified leaves. There is a lack of consensus on whether items found frequently in the fecal samples are actually prioritized or found as an alternative food for these bats. Multiple types of figs can also contribute to different nutrients for the species. Frugivorous bats usually do not consume foods rich in protein. The overconsumption of fruits, paired with leaves may contribute to an adequate amount of protein in their diet. Figs are superior sources of calcium, which may also aid in their growth to adults. Like nearly all megabats, giant golden-crowned flying foxes cannot echolocate, and thus rely on sight to navigate. This species likely commutes long distances between its roost and foraging grounds. Individuals who roosted on the island of Maripipi, for example, were documented traveling more than to access sites on another island, Biliran.


Roosting and behavior

Giant golden-crowned flying foxes are nocturnal, sleeping for most of the day. They do engage in some social and maintenance behaviors during the day at times, with solitary behaviors such as self-grooming, excreting waste, and wing flapping more prevalent in the afternoon and social behaviors such as fighting and mating in the morning. It forms harmonious mixed species colonies with another megabat, the large flying fox (''Pteropus vampyrus''). When time to leave the roosts for nightly foraging, the two species will head in the same direction. In the 1920s, colonies of these two species would number as many as 120,000 individuals. As of 1992, the largest of these colonies was 5,000; many comprised only several hundred individuals.


Reproduction

Little is known about mating and reproduction of the giant golden-crowned flying fox. The litter size is one individual, with females likely producing no more than one litter per year. It has also been speculated that females may only give birth every other year. Based on limited observation, it is thought that females may not reach sexual maturity until two years of age. On
Negros Island Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...
, females gave birth in April or May; based on other observations, females likely give birth during this time across its range. On the island of Maripipi, young were born in late May and June.


Predators, parasites, and disease

The giant golden-crowned flying fox is impacted by
ectoparasites Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
(external parasites) including '' Cyclopodia horsfieldi'', which is a species of fly in the family
Nycteribiidae Nycteribiidae is a family of the true fly superfamily Hippoboscoidea are known as "bat flies", together with their close relatives the Streblidae. As the latter do not seem to be a monophyletic group, it is conceivable that bat flies cannot be ...
("bat flies"). It is preyed on by several raptors including the Philippine eagle, white-bellied sea eagle, and possibly the
Brahminy kite The brahminy kite (''Haliastur indus''), formerly known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harrie ...
. Non-avian predators include the reticulated python and humans. Like many bat species, the giant golden-crowned flying fox has been investigated as a source of
emerging infectious disease An emerging infectious disease (EID) is an infectious disease whose incidence has increased recently (in the past 20 years), and could increase in the near future. The minority that are capable of developing efficient transmission between human ...
. One study tested for the presence Reston virus, a kind of '' Ebolavirus'' that affects some primates (though not humans), in a population of giant golden-crowned flying foxes at
Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Sub ...
. Of fifty-six individuals tested for Reston virus, three were seropositive, meaning that they tested positive for antibodies against the virus.


Range and habitat

The giant golden-crowned flying fox is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
; it was the first endemic species of that country to be described, which it was in 1831. Surveys reported in 2005 and 2011 documented this species on the islands of
Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. It ...
, Boracay,
Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and ...
,
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...
, Luzon,
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
,
Mindoro Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ) and has a population of 1,408,454 as of 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luz ...
, Negros and Polillo. It was formerly found on the island of
Panay Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City o ...
, though this population has been extirpated. It is a forest specialist, occurring mostly at elevations from
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
to . It prefers areas uninhabited by humans. A 2005 study found none in inhabited areas. The same study also revealed that these bats use river corridors called
riparian zones A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ...
more than originally thought, because the fig trees located near rivers are the bats' main source of food. They like to be close to agricultural fields, but only in undisturbed forest areas.


Conservation

As of 2016, the giant golden-crowned flying fox is listed as an
endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this designation because its population likely declined by more than 50% from 1986–2016. One of the largest factors in its decline is hunting for
bushmeat Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption, most often referring to the meat of game in Africa. Bushmeat represents a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity for inhabitants of humid tro ...
. Its large body size means that it is an easier target than many other bats. The practice of shooting the giant golden-crowned flying fox at its roosts results in excessive mortality, as dead individuals may not fall from the tree, and wounded individuals may glide some distance before falling. Therefore, a poacher may kill as many as thirty bats to recover ten. The giant golden-crowned flying fox is threatened by deforestation and has completely disappeared from many islands in the Philippines, such as Panay and most of Cebu. Since 1900 the total forest coverage of the Philippines has been reduced from 70% to 20%. Less than 10% of the original lowland forest cover now remains. Negros, an island part of its range, retains only 4% of its original forest coverage. Internationally, the giant golden-crowned flying fox is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In 1990, two of the three subspecies (''A. j. lucifer'' and ''A. j. mindanensis'') were included on CITES Appendix II, meaning that trade of the taxa was strictly regulated. In 1995, the species was placed CITES Appendix I. Appendix I is stricter than Appendix II, meaning that commercial trade of the species is only legal in exceptional circumstances. Nationally, the species is protected by the 2001 Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, though this law is inadequately enforced. While the majority of its roosts are within
protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
s, illegal hunting occurs at a wide scale even within such areas. Three are largely protected in practice. On the island of Boracay, local landowners protect the roost from hunting disturbance. The local governments of Subic Bay and Mambukal protect another two roosts. Even though hunting pressures are lessened at these three roosts, the giant golden-crowned flying fox contends with other sources of disturbance. Tourists and their guides deliberately disturb the bats by clapping their hands or rapping on tree trunks to make the bats fly. In addition to keeping the bats from sleeping, these behaviors result in the separation of offspring from their mothers. In 2013, Bat Conservation International (BCI) listed this species as one of the 35 species of its worldwide priority list of conservation. Actions that BCI has taken to promote its conservation include partnering with local
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...
s (NGOs) to protect its roosts, as well as educate Filipinos about bats. Some captive breeding programs exist for the species, though it is uncertain if they are sufficient to make up for population declines seen in the wild.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Giant Golden-Crowned Flying-Fox Acerodon Mammals described in 1831 Mammals of the Philippines Endemic fauna of the Philippines Bats of Southeast Asia Taxa named by Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz