Species Pteropus scapulatus Peters, 1862

Museums

Regional Maps

• Pteropus scapulatus Peters, W. 1862. Über einen neuen Flederhund Pteropus scapulatus, aus Neuholland. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1862: 574-576 [574].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB 2616 ♀ skin & skull, Cape York, QLD (as Promontorium York, Nova Hollandia).
• Pteropus elseyii Gray, J.E. 1866. A revision of the genera of pteropine bats (Pteropidae), and the descriptions of some apparently undescribed species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 62-67 [publication date established from Duncan, F.M. 1937. On the dates of publication of the Society's 'Proceedings', 1859–1926. With an appendix containing the dates of publication of 'Proceedings', 1830–1858, compiled by the late F.H. Waterhouse, and of the 'Transactions', 1853–1869, by the late Henry Peavot, originally published in P.Z.S. 1893, 1913. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 107: 71–84 [72]] [67].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) BMNH 62.5.2.2 ♀ skin & skull, Claremont Isles, QLD (as Claremont Island).

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Andersen, K. 1912. Catalogue of the Chiroptera in the Collection of the British Museum. Megachiroptera. London : British Museum Vol. 1 2, cii 854 pp. [403]

 

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Also found on Kangaroo Island.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Arnhem (CA), Carnarvon (CAR), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Davenport Murchison Ranges (DMR), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gascoyne (GAS), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Great Sandy Desert (GSD), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Kanmantoo (KAN), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), New England Tablelands (NET), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Pilbara (PIL), Sydney Basin (SB), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Sturt Plateau (STU), Tanami (TAN), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Coastal, crop, gregarious, mellivore, nomadic, subtropical, tall closed forest, tall open forest, tall woodland, volant.

Extra Ecological Information

Arboreal roosts, ingests only juice, nectar, pollen and small seeds, climber.

 

General References

Bartholomew, G.A., Leitner, P. & Nelson, J.E. 1964. Body temperature, oxygen consumption, and heart rate in three species of Australian flying foxes. Physiological Zoology 37: 179-198

Birt, P. 2005. Mutualistic interactions between the nectar-feeding little red flying fox Pteropus scapulatus, and flowering eucalypts: habitat utilisation and pollination. Ph.D. thesis, Brisbane : University of Queensland. pp.

Borsboom, A. 1982. Agonistic interactions between bats and arboreal marsupials. Australian Mammalogy 5: 281-282

Daniel, M.J. 1975. First record of an Australian fruit bat (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae) reaching New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 2: 227-231

Daniel, M.J. 1990. Little red flying fox Pteropus scapulatus Peters, 1862. pp. 136-137 in King, C.M. (ed.). The Handbook of New Zealand Mammals. Auckland : Oxford University Press.

Dukelow, W.R., Pow, C.S.T., Kennedy, J.H. & Martin, L. 1990. Stress effects on late pregnancy in the flying fox, Pteropus scapulatus. Zoological Science (Tokyo) 7: 871-878

Dwyer, P.D. 1965. Flight patterns of some eastern Australian bats. Victorian Naturalist 82: 36-41

Ford, G.I. & Young, R.A. 1998. A note on possible camouflaging behaviour by a little red flying-fox, Pteropus scapulatus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). Australian Mammalogy 20: 433-435

Friend, G.R. & Braithwaite, R.W. 1986. Bat fauna of Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory. Australian Mammalogy 9: 43-52

Hall, L.S. 1987. Identification, distribution and taxonomy of Australian flying-foxes (Chiroptera: Pteropidae). Australian Mammalogy 10: 75-80

Honacki, J.H., Kinman, K.E. & Koeppl, J.W. (eds) 1982. Mammal Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic reference. Lawrence, Kansas : Allen Press & Assoc. Syst. Coll. ix 694 pp.

Koopman, K.F. 1984. Taxonomic and distributional notes on tropical Australian bats. American Museum Novitates 2778: 1-48

Lanza, B. 1969. The baculum of Pteropus and its significance for the phylogenesis of the genus (Mammalia, Megachiroptera). Monitore Zoologico Italiano ns, suppl. 3: 37-68

Law, B.S. & Lean, M. 1992. An observation of little red flying-foxes (Pteropus scapulatus) feeding on lerps. Australian Mammalogy 15: 143-145

Lumsden, L.F. & Bennett, A.F. 1995. Bats of a semi-arid environment in south-eastern Australia: Biogeography, ecology and conservation. Wildlife Research 22: 217-240

McCoy, M. 1995. Little Red Flying-fox Pteropus scapulatus. pp. 441-442 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.

McGuckin, M.A. & Blackshaw, A.W. 1991. Seasonal changes in testicular size, plasma testosterone concentration and body weight in captive flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus and P. scapulatus). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 92: 339-346

McKean, J.L. & Hamilton-Smith, E. 1967. Litter size and maternity sites in Australian bats (Chiroptera). Victorian Naturalist 84: 203-206

McWilliam, A.N. 1986. The feeding ecology of Pteropus in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Myotis 24: 201-208

Mickleburgh, S.P., Hutson, A.M. & Racey, P.A. (Compilers) 1992. Old World Fruit Bats: An action plan for their conservation. Gland : IUCN 252 pp.

Nelson, J.E. 1964. Vocal communication in Australian flying foxes (Pteropodidae; Megachiroptera). Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 21: 857-870

Nelson, J.E. 1965. Behaviour of Australian Pteropodidae (Megachiroptera). Animal Behaviour 13: 544-557 pls 7-9

Nelson, J.E. 1965. Movements of Australian flying foxes (Pteropodidae: Megachiroptera). Australian Journal of Zoology 13: 53-73

Prociv, P. 1983. Seasonal behaviour of Pteropus scapulatus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). Australian Mammalogy 6: 45-46

Ratcliffe, F.N. 1931. The flying fox (Pteropus) in Australia. Bulletin of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Australia 53: 1-81

Stephan, H., Nelson, J.E. & Frahm, H.D. 1981. Brain size comparison in Chiroptera. Zeitschrift für Zoologische Systematik und Evolutionsforschung 19: 195-222

Stephan, H. & Nelson, J.E. 1981. Brains of Australian Chiroptera 1. Encephalization and macromorphology. Australian Journal of Zoology 29: 653-670

Vardon, M.J., Simpson, B.K., Sherwell, D. & Tideman, C.R. 1997. Flying-foxes and tourists: a conservation dilemma in the Northern territory. The Australian Zoologist 30: 310-315

Waithman, J. 1979. A report on a collection of mammals from southwest Papua, 1972–1973. The Australian Zoologist 20: 313-326

 

Common Name References

ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Little Red Flying-fox)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
12-Dec-2022	CHIROPTERA	12-Dec-2022	MOVED
17-Nov-2010		17-Nov-2010	MOVED
04-Dec-2018		17-Nov-2010	MOVED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)