The Sulawesi rousette or Sulawesi fruit bat (''Pilonycteris celebensis'') is a
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 ...
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 s ...
in the family Pteropodidae
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 else ...
to
Sulawesi, an island in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. It is presently the only member of the genus ''Pilonycteris''.
Taxonomy
It was formerly classified in the genus ''Rousettus'' until 2021, when a phylogenetic study found it to belong to its own genus (and tribe, although a new tribe was not described for it) that was more derived than ''Rousettus'', which was described as ''Pilonycteris''. ''P. celebensis'' is thought to be the only member of ''Pilonycteris'', but ''
Rousettus linduensis'' may also belong.
Description
The tibia of the Sulawesi rousette bat is covered in dense fur. Its antitragal lobe is fairly reduced. The bony arch of its cheek is narrow and triangular in shape. The male's distal end of the penis has a flattened and triangular shape.
Diet
''Rousettus celebensis'' is a fruit-eating bat; it has big wings which allow it to carry heavy loads and also make it a good seed disperser. Its diet consists of large seeds, an uncommon feature, compared to other frugivorous bats. ''R. celebensis'' has a unique digestive system which allows it to digest certain seeds or seed coats or both.
References
Megabats
Rousette, Sulawesi
Mammals described in 1907
Taxa named by Knud Andersen
Bats of Indonesia
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN
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