Dobsonia moluccensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CHIROPTERA	PTEROPODIDAE

Scientific Name:

Dobsonia moluccensis

Species Authority:

(Quoy & Gaimard, 1830)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Moluccan Naked-backed Fruit Bat

Synonym/s:

Dobsonia magma Thomas, 1905

Taxonomic Notes:

Dobsonia magna has been considered a separate species in the past (Bergmans and Sarbini 1985), but the most recent taxonomic work includes it as a synonym (Helgen 2006).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Hutson, A.M., Suyanto, A., Helgen, K., Maryanto, I. & Sinaga, U.

Reviewer/s:

Hutson, A.M., Racey, P.A. (Chiroptera Red List Authority), Chanson, J. & Chiozza, F. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern because it is widespread, abundant, and there is no reason to believe the population is in decline.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species ranges from Timor, Samau (I. Maryanto pers. comm.), Maluku Islands (including Ambon, Bacan, Buru and Seram islands), Banda Islands, throughout much of the island of New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea), including the Kai and Aru Islands (Indonesia) to Australia, where it is restricted to the Torres Islands and Cape York, Queensland. It is also found on Waigeo, Batanta (Ibhu pers. comm.), Salawati, and Yapen in Indonesia. It has an altitudinal range of sea level up to 2,700 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Australia; Indonesia; Papua New Guinea; Timor-Leste
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is the most abundant and widespread fruit bat on Papua New Guinea (Bonaccorso 1998). It is generally rare in Australia (Strahan 1995). Few specimens are known from Buru island but it is common on Seram and Banda. It is uncommon on other islands.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is found in tropical moist forest, wet open forest, rural gardens, and fruit and coconut plantations. It is generally absent from dry woodland and savanna. It roosts in caves, sinkholes, boulder piles, old mines, disused buildings, and dense vegetation. It is a gregarious species. In New Guinea, colonies may contain several thousand animals. In Australia, colonies are generally much smaller. Females annually give birth to a single young (Flannery 1995; Strahan 1995; Bonaccorso 1998; Duncan et al. 1999).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is found in tropical moist forest, wet open forest, rural gardens, and fruit and coconut plantations. It is generally absent from dry woodland and savanna. It roosts in caves, sinkholes, boulder piles, old mines, disused buildings, and dense vegetation. It is a gregarious species. In New Guinea, colonies may contain several thousand animals. In Australia, colonies are generally much smaller. Females annually give birth to a single young (Flannery 1995; Strahan 1995; Bonaccorso 1998; Duncan et al. 1999).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats to the species throughout its range. Habitat loss, due to active logging is a threat along with hunting for food and mining activities for Nickel on Gag. It is also locally threatened in parts of its range by shooting as a pest species, and accidental mortality on barbed-wire fences (Bonaccorso 1998; Duncan et al. 1999),

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats to the species throughout its range. Habitat loss, due to active logging is a threat along with hunting for food and mining activities for Nickel on Gag. It is also locally threatened in parts of its range by shooting as a pest species, and accidental mortality on barbed-wire fences (Bonaccorso 1998; Duncan et al. 1999),

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is known from a number of protected areas. There is a need to ensure the protection of important roosting sites. Bonaccorso (1998) mentions a large roosting site of some 10,000 bats at a village near Omeru (Papua New Guinea), where local villagers have provided protection to the bats and offer walking tours to view the roost for a small fee. Taxonomic work is needed to resolve the status of this species relative to D. magna.

Conservation Actions:

It is known from a number of protected areas. There is a need to ensure the protection of important roosting sites. Bonaccorso (1998) mentions a large roosting site of some 10,000 bats at a village near Omeru (Papua New Guinea), where local villagers have provided protection to the bats and offer walking tours to view the roost for a small fee. Taxonomic work is needed to resolve the status of this species relative to D. magna.

Citation:	Hutson, A.M., Suyanto, A., Helgen, K., Maryanto, I. & Sinaga, U. 2008. Dobsonia moluccensis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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