Conservation & Distribution Status

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Current Conservation Status of Pteropus Bats

Conservation Status of Pteropus Bats Of the 58 species and numerous subspecies in the Pteropus genus five are thought to be extinct, Pteropus brunneus and P. tokudae having become Extinct (EX) within the last 50 years. The priority grading for species action assigned by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (Baillie & Groombridge, 1996) assigns species to categories according to their danger of extinction. There are two Pteropus species about which not enough is know to determine their conservation status, both of which occur in Australia. These are labelled as Data Deficient (DD). The most desperately endangered species are assigned to the Extinct in the Wild (EW) or the Critically Endangered (CR) categories. Six Pteropus bat species are currently classed as CR and none yet as EW. Three species are classed as Endangered (EN). The remaining species fall into the categories Vulnerable (VU) of which there are 14 species, and Lower Risk (LR), of which there are 26. The remaining Pteropus species is classed as Not Evaluated (NE) because it has not been assessed against the criteria.

All major threats to fruit bats are caused directly or indirectly by the actions of man. In most of the tropical countries where Pteropus bats live fruit farming is a major industry, and plantations are grown on land that had previously been part of their forest habitat. The bats are often heavily persecuted by farmers who consider them a pest, especially in Australia where they receive no protection. The major cause of the decline in fruit bat populations on Pacific islands is commercial hunting for food. Thousands are caught every year and sold to islands like Guam and the Mariana Islands where they are eaten as a delicacy.

Distribution and range of the Genus Pteropus

Distribution and range of the Genus Pteropus Bat

Aldabra Atoll - Pteropus seychellensis
American Samoa - P. samoensis samoensis , P. tonganus tonganus
Australia - P. melanotus natalis, P. alecto gouldi , P. poliocephalus, P. scapulatus, P. brunneus (?extinct?), P. conspicillatus conspicillatus, P. macrotis epularius
- Christmas Island - P. melanotus natalis
- New South Wales - P. alecto gouldi, P. poliocephalus, P. scapulatus
- Northern Territory - P. alecto gouldi, P. scapulatus
- Queensland - P. alecto gouldi, P. brunneus (extinct), P. conspicillatus conspicillatus, P. macrotis epularius, P. poliocephalus, P. scapulatus
- Victoria - P. poliocephalus, P. scapulatus
- Western Australia - P. alecto gouldi, P. scapulatus Bangladesh P. giganteus giganteus
Brunei - P. vampyrus natunae
Burma - P. giganteus giganteus, P. hypomelanus geminorum, P. vampyrus intermedius
Cambodia - P. hypomelanus condorensis, P. lylei
China - P. giganteus chinghaiensis
Common wealth of Northern Mariana Islands - P. mariannus (subspecies unidentified), P. m. paganensis
Comoros - P. livingstonii, P. seychellensis comorensis
Cook Islands - P. tonganus tonganus
Federated States of Micronesia
- Chuuk (Mortlock islands) - P. phaeocephalus
- Ponhpei (Ant atoll, Pakin atoll) - P. insularis, P. mariannus ulthiensis, P. molossinus, P. phaeocephalus
- Yap - P. mariannus yapensis
Fiji - P. samoensis nawaiensis, P. tonganus tonganus
Guam - P. tokudae (extinct), P. mariannus mariannus
India - P. niger P. seychellensis, P. rodricensis P. faunulus, P. giganteus giganteus, P. g. leucocephalus, P. melanotus melanotus, P. m. satyrus, P. m. tytleri
- Andaman Islands - P. giganteus giganteus, P. melanotus satyrus, P. m. tytleri
- Mainland India - P. giganteus giganteus, P. g. leucocephalus
- Nicobar islands - P. faunulus, P. melanotus melanotus
Indonesia - P. alecto alecto, P. a. aterrimus, P. a. gouldi, P. a. morio, ?P. argentatus, P. caniceps caniceps, P. c. dobsoni, P. chrysoproctus
Japan - P. dasymallus daitoensis, P. d. dasymallus, P. d. inopinatus, P. d. yayeyamae P. pselaphon, P. loochoensis (extinct)(extinct)
Java Island of Otong - P. howensis
Madagascar - P. rufus
Malaysia - P. hypomelanus fretensis, P. h. geminorum, P. h. lepidus, P. h. robinsoni, P. h. tomesi, P. vampyrus, P. v. malaccensis, P. vampyrus, P. v. natunae
Maldives - P. giganteus ariel, P. hypomelanus maris
Mauritius - P. niger, P. rodicensis (extinct on Mauritius), P. subniger (extinct) Rodrigues island P.rodricencis, P. subniger (extinct)
Nepal - P. giganteus leucocephalus
New Caledonia - P. tonganus geddiei, P. ornatus auratus, P. o. ornatus, P. vetelus
Niue - P. tonganus tonganus
Pakistan - P. giganteus giganteus
Palau - P. mariannus pelewensis, P. pilosus (extinct)
Papua New Guinea - P. admiralitatum admiralitatum, P. alecto gouldi, P. conspicillatus chrysauchen, P. c. conspicillatus, P. gilliardi, P. hypomelanus luteus, P. h. vulanius, P. macrotis epularius, P. mahaganus, P. neohibernicus hilli, P. n. hibernicus, P. rayneri grandis, P. scapulatus, P. temmincki capistratus, P. tonganus basiliscus
Pemba - P. voeltzkowi
Philippines - P. griseus griseus(?), P. hypomelanus cagayanus, P. h. tomesi, P. leucopterus, P. mearnsi, P. pumilus, P. speciosus, P. vampyrus lanensis
Reunion - (2 species extinct) P. niger (extinct), P. subniger (extinct)
Seychelles - P. seychellensis seychellensis
Singapore - P. vampyrus malaccensis
Solomon Islands - P. admiralitatum colonus, P. a. goweri, P. a. solomonensis, P. howensis, P. hypomelanus luteus, P. mahaganus, P. nitendiensis,P. rayneri cognatus, P. r. grandis, P. r. lavellanus, P. r. monoensis, P. r. rayneri, P. r. renelli, P. r. rubianus, P. sanctacrucis, P. tonganus gediei, P. tuberculatus, P. woodfordi
Sri Lanka - P. giganteus giganteus
Taiwan - P. dasymallus formosus
Tanzania - P. seychellensis comorensis, P. voeltzkowi
Thailand - P. hypomelanus condorensis, P. h. geminorum, P. lylei, P. vampyrus intermedius, P. v. malaccensis
Timor - P. griseus griseus
Tonga - P. tonganus tonganus
Vanautu - P. anetianus anetianus, P. a. aorensis, P.a. bakeri, P. a. banksiani, P. a. eotinus, P. a. motalave, P. a. pastoris, P. fundatus, P. tonganus
Vietnam - P. hypmelanus condorensis, P. lylei, P. vampyrus malaccensis
Wallis & Futuna - P. tonganus tonganus
Western Samoa - P. samoensis samoensis, P. tonganus tonganus

Information on this page was compiled and authored by Oliver Thatcher and is currently being updated.