Abstract
Pteropus griseus (gray flying fox) is a species of Old World fruit bat that is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Data Deficient. The species is found on small islands in the Lesser Sundas and Sulawesi, and is endemic to Indonesia, but no contemporary roosts are known, and the last study of the species was in Timor in the Lesser Sundas. In this study, we describe the first known day roost in Sulawesi for Pteropus griseus and collected anecdotal evidence regarding conservation threats to the colony. We compared data from flying foxes collected from this roost to other P. griseus specimens and those of closely related co-occurring species to confirm its identity. We confirmed that this roost is likely of Pteropus griseus, though the subspecies identity remains to be determined. However, it is newly threatened by middlemen traders of bat meat from North Sulawesi arriving to encourage local villagers near the roost to hunt the bats. Elevated levels of hunting may deplete the entire colony in a single season should no conservation action be taken to safeguard the roost.
Highlights
Pteropus (Mammalia: Chiroptera), commonly known as flying foxes, fulfill important ecosystem roles as seed dispersers and pollinators [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8], but are threatened by intensive hunting and habitat conversion [9,10,11,12]
Three species of flying foxes were identified at the roost during a reconnaissance survey in December 2016—Pteropus griseus, P. alecto, and Acerodon celebensis (Sulawesi flying fox)
The latter two species are identified by sight given their significantly larger size and distinct coloration—P. alecto is entirely dark brown to black with a forearm (FA) range of 140 to 175 mm, and A. celebensis is blonde with a brown face with a FA range 125 to 142 mm
Summary
Pteropus (Mammalia: Chiroptera), commonly known as flying foxes, fulfill important ecosystem roles as seed dispersers and pollinators [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8], but are threatened by intensive hunting and habitat conversion [9,10,11,12]. Most flying fox species occur in remote, marginal habitats and require dedicated effort to seek out compared to other bats, which discourages research. In the Old World Fruit Bat Action Plan [16], a majority of flying fox species do not have enough data to contribute to species threat assessments and require greater survey and research efforts to understand Pteropus natural history and the threats species face. Without this information, assessment of the effectiveness of conservation action and where to prioritize resources is not possible
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