By Kyle Steiner
Geographic Range
The type locality of black-eared flying foxes is the Nicobar Islands in India. They are found throughout many islands in Southeast Asia, including the Andaman Islands in India, the Engano and Nias Islands in Indonesia, and Christmas Island, south of Java. (Wilson, 1993)
Other Geographic Terms:
island endemic 
.
Habitat
Pteropus melanotus is generally found in forests and swamps on small, oceanic islands. They roost in rainforest trees on these islands. ("Australian Museum Online", 1999; Tidemann R, 1994)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
tropical ; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
rainforest .
Wetlands: swamp .
Physical Description
Black-eared flying foxes have dark brown to black fur, except in the chest and neck region where the fur is light brown. The genus Pteropus includes the largest bat species in the world. No records of body measurements could be found in the literature. Males of Pteropus species tend to be larger than females and species range in size from 170 to 406 mm in body length and 610 to 1,700 mm wingspan. (McNab and Armstrong, 2001; Michigan Science Art, 2002; Nowak and Ronald M, 1999)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: male larger.
Reproduction
Breeding occurs once yearly.
Births peak in February.
There is no information on the mating systems of black-eared flying foxes. In many species of Pteropus males form mating harems during temporary breeding aggregations. (Nowak and Ronald M, 1999)
Little is known about the reproductive behavior of Pteropus melanotus except that breeding occurs once a year, and February tends to be the peak birthing time. Pteropus melanotus individuals reach sexual maturity in only six months, less than any other flying fox species which generally reach sexual maturity in 18 to 24 months. ("Christmas Island", 2006; Nowak and Ronald M, 1999)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous .
Black-eared flying fox females nurse and care for their young until they reach independence. In most Pteropus species, females carry their young for the first few weeks after birth. Subsequently they leave the young in a roost while foraging, returning to nurse them. Pteropus species young generally become independent 2 to 3 months after birth. (Nowak and Ronald M, 1999)
Parental investment:
pre-fertilization (provisioning, protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: female, protecting: female).
Lifespan/Longevity
Other Pteropus species have record life spans around 25 to 35 years, but there is no specific information on P. melanotus. ("Aging Cell", 2002; Nowak and Ronald M, 1999)
Behavior
Black-eared flying foxes are one of the few species of bats that are active during the day. They tend to roost in groups of several hundred bats, and during the day can be seen flying in large groups in updrafts near cliff faces. ("Australian Museum Online", 1999; "Christmas Island", 2006; Nowak and Ronald M, 1999)
Home Range
Home ranges of black-eared flying foxes are unknown.
Communication and Perception
Black-eared flying foxes use their keen vision in low light to navigate. They also use olfaction to find fruits and communicate reproductive status. (Nowak and Ronald M, 1999)
Food Habits
Black-eared flying fox diet consists mainly of fruits and blossoms of rainforest trees. They tend to favor Muntingia calabura, which is an introduced Japanese cherry. ("Australian Museum Online", 1999; "Christmas Island", 2006)
Plant Foods:
fruit; flowers.
Predation
- domestic cats (Felis silvestris)
- humans (Homo sapiens)
Domestic cats (Felis silvestris) are the main predators of Pteropus melanotus on Christmas Island, making up 21 percent of their diet by weight. Humans also eat Pteropus species. They may also be preyed on occasionally by birds of prey and arboreal snakes. They avoid predation mainly through communal roosting in tall trees. (Tidemann R, 1994)
Ecosystem Roles
Black-eared flying foxes help to disperse fruit tree seeds and fertilize areas around roost trees.
Key ways these animals impact their ecosystem:
disperses seeds.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Black-eared flying foxes sometimes eat fruit and may impact fruit crops. ("Australian Museum Online", 1999)
Ways that these animals might be a problem for humans:
crop pest.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Black-eared flying foxes are important members of their native ecosystems, they are especially important for dispersing tree seeds.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Lower Risk - Least Concern.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
Appendix II.
As of 1996 Pteropus melanotus was placed on low risk or least concern on the IUCN Red List. There is a limited number hunted by natives. However, there are concerns that black-eared flying foxes are especially vulnerable because of their restriction to small, oceanic islands and their apparent lack of fear of humans. Black-eared flying foxes also tend to be active during the day, making them easier to hunt than other species of Pteropus. ("Australian Biological Resource Study", 1999; "UNEP-WCMC Species Database", 1996)
Other Comments
Most of the information that was found is on the subspecies P. m. natalis, with little information on the other five subspecies. ("Australian Biological Resource Study", 1999)
For More Information
Find Pteropus melanotus information at
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
Kyle Steiner (author), University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Chris Yahnke (editor, instructor), University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.
