Beaufort's naked-backed fruit bat

Beaufort's naked-backed fruit bat (Dobsonia beauforti) is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. Its natural habitat is in caves.

Beaufort's naked-backed fruit bat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Dobsonia
Species:
D. beauforti
Binomial name
Dobsonia beauforti
Bergmans, 1975
Beaufort's naked-backed fruit bat range in Western New Guinea

Taxonomy and etymology

Beaufort's naked-backed fruit bat was described as a new species in 1975 by W. Bergmans. The holotype had been collected in 1909 by Lieven Ferdinand de Beaufort in Waigeo, Indonesia. De Beaufort is the eponym for the species name "beauforti."[2]

Description

Its ears, flight membranes, and back lacks fur. Its forearm length is 99.6–111.4 mm (3.92–4.39 in).[2] It is sexually dimorphic, with males larger than the females. Males are also a bright, yellowish-green in contrast to the drab brown fur of the females.[3] It is similar in appearance to the greenish naked-backed fruit bat, with which it may be confused.[1]

Range and habitat

It is endemic to Indonesia, where its range includes the Raja Ampat, Biak, and Supiori islands in Cenderawasih Bay.[1]

Conservation

As of 2016, it is listed as a least-concern species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this classification because its range includes multiple islands; it is found within protected areas; and it is unlikely to be experiencing rapid population decline.[1]

References
  1. Mildenstein, T. (2016). "Dobsonia beauforti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T6772A22034699. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T6772A22034699.en.
  2. Bergmans, W. (1975). "A new species of Dobsonia Palmer, 1898 (Mammalia, Megachiroptera) from Waigeo, with notes on other members of the genus". Beaufortia. 23 (295): 1–13.
  3. Flannery, T. (1995). Mammals of the South-West Pacific & Moluccan Islands. Cornell University Press. pp. 192–193. ISBN 0801431506.
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