Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat

Dobsonia anderseni is a flying fox from the kind of nude back flying foxes ( Dobsonia ). It occurs on the Bismarck Archipelago and in the Admiralty Islands. The specific epithet honors the Danish zoologist Knud Christian Andersen ( 1867-1918 ).

Features

Size and weight are five males and three females that were collected on the island of Manus and are located today in the Australian Museum. The head-body length in males from 153.0 to 187.5 mm, tail length 27.4 to 32.0 mm, the forearm length from 127.2 to 131.4 mm, the tibial length from 59.5 to 61.4 mm, the ear length 26.9 to 28.5 mm and weight 248-258 g the females are smaller. For them, the head-body length is 131.8 to 136.0 mm, tail length 22.2 to 40.0 mm, the forearm length from 113.6 to 122.0 mm, the tibial length from 49.3 to 56.2 mm, the ear length 22.0 to 25.6 mm and weight 135-197 g the coat is very dark. The head is dark brown, almost black. The coat is dark brown. The underside is sepia -colored with a dark ocher blurring in the lower abdomen center.

Occurrence

The distribution area of Dobsonia anderseni extends to the islands Bagabag, Boang, Dyaul, Emirau, Karkar, Lihir, Manus, Mussau, New Britain, New Ireland, Sakar, Tabar, Tolokiwa and Umboi.

Way of life

In the sleeping caves Dobsonia anderseni forms large colonies. During the flight they produce a pok pok - pok - noise. Prepare mating individuals were observed between June and August. Lactating females were often caught outside the caves with Japan nets, never wore boy with him, while females that were trapped in caves, had pups with them. Probably the females leave the pups at the sleeping place to go in search of food while she and carry it with them when they are disturbed at the roost.

System

The taxonomic status of Dobsonia anderseni is controversial. While Wim Bergmans and Sukaeri Sarbini (1975, 1979 and 1985) start from a species status, a subspecies of Dobsonia moluccensis is Karl F. Koopman (1982 ) believes that Dobsonia anderseni represents.