The great flying fox, also known as the greater flying fox or Bismarck flying fox, is a species of megabat in the genus Pteropus, found throughout lowland areas of New Guinea and in the Bismarck Archipelago. Conflicting evidence suggests that its closest relative is either the spectacled flying fox or, jointly, the Pelew and insular flying foxes. Two subspecies are recognized. At up to in weight, it is among the heaviest bats in the world and the largest bat in Melanesia. It is a gregarious animal which roosts with hundreds or thousands of individuals. It may forage during the day or night in search of fruit, including figs or fruits from the family Sapotaceae. It is considered a least-concern species, though its numbers have been negatively impacted by what appeared to be a disease, as well as by hunting for bushmeat that occurs across its range.
Taxonomy
The great flying fox was described in 1876 by German naturalist Wilhelm Peters. He listed it as a variety of the black-bearded flying fox, Pteropus melanopogon var. neohibernicus. The holotype had been collected on the island of New Ireland, which is part of Papua New Guinea, by Carl Hüsker. Neohibernicus is Latin for "of New Ireland". Two subspecies are recognized:
The great flying fox is the largest bat on the island New Guinea, as well as the whole of Melanesia. Its forearm length ranges from, and individuals can weigh up to. This makes it one of the heaviest known species of bat. Males are typically larger than females. Males have a head and body length of, while females are long. Forearm lengths are and for males and females, respectively. It lacks a tail, and has a long, narrow snout relative to the black-bearded flying fox. The color of its fur is variable, though often golden brown, with the fur of its back usually sparse or absent. It has a mantle, or fur of contrasting color on the sides and back of its neck. The mantle is usually yellowish.
Biology and ecology
The great flying fox is highly gregarious, or social, and forms coloniesconsisting of several thousand individuals. During the day, it roosts in treetops. At night, it leaves its roost to forage for fruit. Its diet may include fruits from the family Sapotaceae, as well as figs and Ceiba pentandra fruits. It sometimes forages during the day, and has been observed skimming the sea to pluck fruits that are floating on the surface. Females give birth to a single offspring at a time. Near Fulleborn, Papua New Guinea, it is thought that females give birth in early December. It is known to be parasitized by nematodes of the genus Litomosa, with the species L. hepatica newly described from a great flying fox.
The great flying fox may be threatened by disease. In 1985, many dead and dying individuals were found beneath their roosts on the island of Manus. The mass mortality event continued for several weeks across the entirety of the island; afterward, no great flying foxes were seen for several years. Along with many other Pteropus species, it is included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It is considered a common and abundant species, and is listed as least-concern by the IUCN as of 2008. It is unknown if its numbers are increasing, decreasing, or stable.
Relationship to humans
The great flying fox has been researched to determine its role in the ecology of Hendra virus, which is a zoonotic virus that can infect humans. On the north coast of Papua New Guinea, it has tested positive for antibodies against the virus, known as seropositivity. In Papua New Guinea, it is hunted for bushmeat. Localized hunting occurs over a large part of its range, with higher levels in East Sepik Province.
