Bats (Chiroptera)Black Flying-Fox (Pteropus alecto) Finlayson’s Cave Bat (Vespadelus finlaysoni) Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas) Little Red Flying-Fox (Pteropus scapulatus)
The Little Red Flying-Fox (Pteropus scapulatus) is native to northern and eastern Ausralia. Belonging to the group Megachiroptera, with the single family Pteropodidae, that are also called fruit bats (a group that feed on nectar, pollen, fruit, leaves, some species also feed on petals and bracts. During the dry periods, they are seen skimming water surfaces to gather water, whilst in flight.
The smallest species of Pteropus on mainland Australia, they weigh up to half a kilogram. They are described as having “simple dog-like heads” and are often found roosting closely together in large number.
When the wing is extended, together with a forearm, measure between 120 to 150 millimetres in length, the head and body combined is 125 to 200 mm.
The pelage is reddish brown in colour, with the short fur appearing over most of the body and sparsely at the lower part of the leg. The fur on the head can be dark to light shade of grey. The patagium (membrane skin between the forelimbs and hindlimbs on the bat) is a pale brown colour, and appears translucent when the bat is in flight.
The primary food source is from Eucalyptus and Corymbia blossoms, the diet consisting of nectar and pollen (making them great pollinators). They also feed on the nectar of Melaleuca species, as well as other native and cultivated fruiting trees.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Informal: Gnathostomata
- Class: Mammalia
- Subclass: Eutheria
- Order: Chiroptera
- Suborder: Yinpterochiroptera
- Superfamily: Pteropodoidea
- Family: Pteropodidae
- Subfamily: Pteropodinae
- Genus: Pteropus
- Species: Pteropus scapulatus
Footnote & References
- Finlayson’s Cave Bat (Vespadelus finlaysoni), many thanks for ID to Michael Pennay and Bruce Thomsons, Australian Bat Identification, https://www.facebook.com/groups/663929627394101/
- Vespadelus finlaysoni (Kitchener, Jones & Caputi, 1987), Finlayson’s Cave Bat, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Vespadelus finlaysoni
- Chiroptera, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/CHIROPTERA
Bats (Chiroptera)Black Flying-Fox (Pteropus alecto) Finlayson’s Cave Bat (Vespadelus finlaysoni) Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas) Little Red Flying-Fox (Pteropus scapulatus)
FaunaFauna Index Arachnida (Arachnids) Bats (Chiroptera) Birds Camel Chilopoda Crustacea Dingo Frogs Gastropoda Horse Hyrtl’s Catfish Insects Macropodidae Mammalia Marsupials Monotreme Reptiles Rodentia Class Mammalia Spiders Spinifex Hopping Mouse Ticks