''Rousettus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Old World fruit bat 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 sup ...

s or

megabats 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 sup ...

, referred to as rousette bats. The genus is a member of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Pteropodidae. The genus consists of seven

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of 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 the appropriate s ...

Mammal Species of the World - Browse: Rousettus
/ref> that range over most of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

to southeast

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, and the islands of the south

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. They are among the few megabats capable of echolocation, and the only genus of megabats known to use vocal echolocation.

Classification

Genus ''Rousettus'' – rousette fruit bats *

Geoffroy's rousette Geoffroy's rousette (''Rousettus amplexicaudatus'') is a species of megabat or Old World fruit bats. It is one of ten species in the genus ''Rousettus''. Distribution Geoffroy's rousette occurs throughout Southeast Asia and in the Malesia region ...

, ''R. amplexicaudatus'' *

Egyptian fruit bat The Egyptian fruit bat or Egyptian rousette (''Rousettus aegyptiacus'') is a species of megabat that is found in Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the Indian subcontinent. It is one of three ''Rousettus'' species with an African-Ma ...

or Egyptian rousette, ''R. aegyptiacus'' *

Leschenault's rousette Leschenault's rousette (''Rousettus leschenaultii'') is a species of fruit bat. The scientific name of the species was first published by Desmarest in 1820. Description Leschenault's rousette is brown to grey-brown in colour with lighter under ...

, ''R. leschenaulti'' *

Linduan rousette The Linduan rousette (''Rousettus linduensis'') is a species of megabat in the ''Rousettus'' genus of the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Indonesia and is known only from four specimens collected in the swamp forest of Lore Lindu National Pa ...

, ''R. linduensis'' *

Comoro rousette The Comoro rousette (''Rousettus obliviosus'') is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae endemic to the Comoros Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones ...

, ''R. obliviosus'' * Bare-backed rousette, ''R. spinalatus'' *

Madagascan rousette The Madagascan rousette (''Rousettus madagascariensis'') or Madagascar rousette, is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. Description The Madagascan ...

, ''R. madagascariensis'' The species in the genera '' Boneia'', '' Stenonycteris'', and '' Pilonycteris'' were also formerly classified in ''Rousettus'', but phylogenetic analysis supports them being their own genera.

References

Bat genera Taxa named by John Edward Gray {{fruit-bat-stub