Pteropus subniger

– Extinct

Taxonomy

Kingdom:

ANIMALIA

Phylum:

CHORDATA

Class:

MAMMALIA

Order:

CHIROPTERA

Family:

PTEROPODIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pteropus subniger

Species Authority:

(Kerr, 1792)

Common Name/s:

English	—	DARK FLYING FOX, LESSER MASCARENE FLYING-FOX
Spanish	—	ZORRO VOLADOR OSCURO DE MAURICIO

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria:

EX ver 3.1 (2001)

Year Assessed:

2004

Assessor/s:

Mickleburgh, S., Hutson, A., Bergmans, W., Howell, K. (GMA Africa Workshop)

Evaluator/s:

Hutson, A., Racey, P. & Mickleburgh, S. (Chiroptera Red List Authority)

Justification:

The last authentic record of this species on Mauritius was in 1859, but it is believed to have died out between 1864 and 1873. On Réunion, no new records appeared after 1862 and it seems probable that it became extinct in the 1860s.

History:

1988	-	Extinct (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1990	-	Extinct (IUCN 1990)
1994	-	Extinct (Groombridge 1994)
1996	-	Extinct (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range

Range Description:	Pteropus subniger was known from Mauritius and Réunion.
Countries:	Regionally extinct: Mauritius; Réunion

Population

Population:

It is believed to have become extinct from Mauritius between 1864 and 1873. It is likely to have disappeared from Réunion in the 1860s. It may have lasted a little longer but is now certain to be extinct. In the 1730s it was common enough to considered for the bat oil trade. Was restricted to elevations of between 1,200 and 1,600 m.

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology:

Roosted in trees and was sometimes found in rocks.

Its very long and dense fur suggest that it may have had a preference for cool roosting places, such as the higher altitudes in Reunion, and its reported ability to exploit suitably rocky substrates indicate that it was not dependent on forest or even trees for roosting places.

System:

Terrestrial

List of Habitats:

1.6	Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland

Threats

Threats:

Both deforestation and local hunting are thought to have contributed to the extinction of this species. It was thought to have lived in hollow trees.

List of Threats:

1.1.1.2	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Crops - Small-holder farming (past)
3	Harvesting (hunting/gathering) (past)

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (compilers and editors) 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Bergmans, W. 1999. Conservation status of African fruit bats (Mammalia, Megachiroptera). In: H. de Iongh and H. Prins (eds) International Seminar on Species Conservation - The IUCN Red List categories discussed. Nederlands Commissie voor Internationale Naturbescherming Medelingen 33, Leiden.

Groombridge, B. (ed.) 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre. 1988. 1988 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN. 1990. 1990 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Mickleburgh, S.P., Hutson, A.M. and Racey, P. (compilers) 1992. Old World Fruit Bats. An Action Plan for their Conservation. IUCN/SSC Chiroptera Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland Switzerland.

Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds). 1993. Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London.

Citation:	Mickleburgh, S., Hutson, A., Bergmans, W., Howell, K. 2004. Pteropus subniger. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 06 September 2008.
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