Pteropus vampyrus
(Linnaeus, 1758). Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1:131.

©2002

ORDER—CHIROPTERA
FAMILY—Pteropodidae

COMMON NAME—Large flying fox.

DISTRIBUTION—Indochina to the Lesser Sundas; throughout the Philippines except the Batanes/Babuyan region. Records from Bohol (FMNH), Bongao (DMNH), Cabo (USNM), Catanduanes (BMNH), Culion (USNM), Leyte (FMNH), Guimaras (UMMZ), Luzon [Abra (FMNH), Cagayan (UPLB), Ilocos Norte (USNM), Isabela (UMMZ), La Union (USNM), Tarlac (USNM) provinces], Marinduque (PNM), Mindanao [Agusan del Norte (UPLB), Bukidnon (AMNH), Cotabato (AMNH), Davao del Norte (FMNH), Davao del Sur (FMNH), Davao Oriental (UPLB), Lanao del Norte (USNM), Lanao del Sur (USNM), Maguindanao (FMNH), Misamis Occidental (USNM), Misamis Oriental (FMNH), North Cotabato (DMNH), South Cotabato (UPLB), Zamboanga del Norte (AMNH), and Zamboanga del Sur (USNM) provinces], Mindoro (AMNH), Negros (FMNH), Palawan (FMNH), Panay (FMNH, USNM), Tantangan (USNM). Also reported from Dinagat (Gunther, 1879) and Romblon (Timm & Birney, 1980).

HABITAT—Widespread and locally common in primary lowland forest up to 1250 m, also forage in adjacent agricultural areas (Rabor, 1955, 1986; Rickart et al., 1993; Sanborn, 1953).

STATUS—Formerly occurred in many large colonies, but these are now greatly reduced in size and number (Heideman & Heaney, 1989; Mickleburgh et al., 1992; Mudar & Allen, 1986; Rickart et al., 1993). Heavily hunted and declining substantially (Utzurrum, 1992). CITES: Appendix II.

NOTE ADDED IN 2005--Moderately common on Palawan Island in spite of moderate hunting pressure (Esselstyn et al, 2004).


©2002 (photograph by T. Kunz)

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©2002 Heaney et al., Mammals of the Philippines
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