Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat

Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Dobsonia
Species:
D. anderseni
Binomial name
Dobsonia anderseni
Thomas, 1914
Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat range

Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat or Andersen's bare-backed fruit bat (Dobsonia anderseni) is a large cave-dwelling species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago including the Admiralty Islands in Papua New Guinea.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1914 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas. The holotype used to describe the species was collected by Albert Stewart Meek and his brother-in-law, Albert Frederic Eichhorn, in October 1913. The eponym for the species name "anderseni" is Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen. Of Andersen, Thomas wrote: "I have named the species in honour of Dr. K. Andersen, in recognition of the striking monograph of Dobsonia contained in his Catalogue, a monograph which has entirely revolutionized our knowledge of the group."

Description

Its forearm length is 123–125 mm (4.8–4.9 in). Its fur is very dark brown, with its head nearly black.

Range and habitat

Its range includes several islands of Papua New Guinea. It has been documented at elevations up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level.

Conservation

As of 2020, it is listed as a least-concern species by the IUCN. Threats to this species include overharvesting for bushmeat or disturbance of the caves where it roosts during the day.


This page was last updated at 2023-12-11 20:20 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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