REVIEW- INDONESIAN FLYING FOXES: RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION STATUS UPDATE

Abstract

Flying foxes are important ecological keystone species on many archipelagoes, and Indonesia is home to over a third of all flying fox species globally. However, the amount of research on this clade belies their importance to natural systems, particularly as they are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic development and hunting. Here, we provide a review of the literature since the publication of the Old World Fruit Bat Action Plan and categorize research priorities as high, medium, or low based on the number of studies conducted. A majority of the research priorities for Indonesian endemics are categorized as medium or high priority. Low priority ratings were in multiple categories for widespread flying fox species found throughout Southeast Asia, though much of the data were from outside of the Indonesian extent of the species range. These research gaps tend to highlight broader patterns of research biases towards western Indonesia, whereas significant research effort is still needed in eastern Indonesia, particularly for vulnerable island taxa.