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Conservation & Distribution Status

Current Conservation Status of Pteropus Bats

Of the 58 species and numerous subspecies in the Pteropus genus five are thought to be extinct, Pteropus brunneus and P. tokudae having become Extinct (EX) within the last 50 years. The priority grading for species action assigned by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (Baillie & Groombridge, 1996) assigns species to categories according to their danger of extinction. There are two Pteropus species about which not enough is know to determine their conservation status, both of which occur in Australia. These are labelled as Data Deficient (DD). The most desperately endangered species are assigned to the Extinct in the Wild (EW) or the Critically Endangered (CR) categories. Six Pteropus bat species are currently classed as CR and none yet as EW. Three species are classed as Endangered (EN). The remaining species fall into the categories Vulnerable (VU) of which there are 14 species, and Lower Risk (LR), of which there are 26. The remaining Pteropus species is classed as Not Evaluated (NE) because it has not been assessed against the criteria.

All major threats to fruit bats are caused directly or indirectly by the actions of man. In most of the tropical countries where Pteropus bats live fruit farming is a major industry, and plantations are grown on land that had previously been part of their forest habitat. The bats are often heavily persecuted by farmers who consider them a pest, especially in Australia where they receive no protection. The major cause of the decline in fruit bat populations on Pacific islands is commercial hunting for food. Thousands are caught every year and sold to islands like Guam and the Mariana Islands where they are eaten as a delicacy.

Distribution and range of the Genus Pteropus

• Aldabra Atoll - Pteropus seychellensis
• American Samoa - P. samoensis samoensis , P. tonganus tonganus
• Australia - P. melanotus natalis, P. alecto gouldi , P. poliocephalus, P. scapulatus, P. brunneus (?extinct?), P. conspicillatus conspicillatus, P. macrotis epularius
• Christmas Island - P. melanotus natalis
• New South Wales - P. alecto gouldi, P. poliocephalus, P. scapulatus
• Northern Territory - P. alecto gouldi, P. scapulatus
• Queensland - P. alecto gouldi, P. brunneus (extinct), P. conspicillatus conspicillatus, P. macrotis epularius, P. poliocephalus, P. scapulatus
• Victoria - P. poliocephalus, P. scapulatus
• Western Australia - P. alecto gouldi, P. scapulatus Bangladesh P. giganteus giganteus
• Brunei - P. vampyrus natunae
• Burma - P. giganteus giganteus, P. hypomelanus geminorum, P. vampyrus intermedius
• Cambodia - P. hypomelanus condorensis, P. lylei
• China - P. giganteus chinghaiensis
• Common wealth of Northern Mariana Islands - P. mariannus (subspecies unidentified), P. m. paganensis
• Comoros - P. livingstonii, P. seychellensis comorensis
• Cook Islands - P. tonganus tonganus
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Chuuk (Mortlock islands) - P. phaeocephalus
• Ponhpei (Ant atoll, Pakin atoll) - P. insularis, P. mariannus ulthiensis, P. molossinus, P. phaeocephalus
• Yap - P. mariannus yapensis
• Fiji - P. samoensis nawaiensis, P. tonganus tonganus
• Guam - P. tokudae (extinct), P. mariannus mariannus
• India - P. niger P. seychellensis, P. rodricensis P. faunulus, P. giganteus giganteus, P. g. leucocephalus, P. melanotus melanotus, P. m. satyrus, P. m. tytleri
• Andaman Islands - P. giganteus giganteus, P. melanotus satyrus, P. m. tytleri
• Mainland India - P. giganteus giganteus, P. g. leucocephalus
• Nicobar islands - P. faunulus, P. melanotus melanotus
• Indonesia - P. alecto alecto, P. a. aterrimus, P. a. gouldi, P. a. morio, ?P. argentatus, P. caniceps caniceps, P. c. dobsoni, P. chrysoproctus
• Japan - P. dasymallus daitoensis, P. d. dasymallus, P. d. inopinatus, P. d. yayeyamae P. pselaphon, P. loochoensis (extinct)(extinct)
• Java Island of Otong - P. howensis
• Madagascar - P. rufus
• Malaysia - P. hypomelanus fretensis, P. h. geminorum, P. h. lepidus, P. h. robinsoni, P. h. tomesi, P. vampyrus, P. v. malaccensis, P. vampyrus, P. v. natunae
• Maldives - P. giganteus ariel, P. hypomelanus maris
• Mauritius - P. niger, P. rodicensis (extinct on Mauritius), P. subniger (extinct) Rodrigues island P.rodricencis, P. subniger (extinct)
• Nepal - P. giganteus leucocephalus
• New Caledonia - P. tonganus geddiei, P. ornatus auratus, P. o. ornatus, P. vetelus
• Niue - P. tonganus tonganus
• Pakistan - P. giganteus giganteus
• Palau - P. mariannus pelewensis, P. pilosus (extinct)
• Papua New Guinea - P. admiralitatum admiralitatum, P. alecto gouldi, P. conspicillatus chrysauchen, P. c. conspicillatus, P. gilliardi, P. hypomelanus luteus, P. h. vulanius, P. macrotis epularius, P. mahaganus, P. neohibernicus hilli, P. n. hibernicus, P. rayneri grandis, P. scapulatus, P. temmincki capistratus, P. tonganus basiliscus
• Pemba - P. voeltzkowi
• Philippines - P. griseus griseus(?), P. hypomelanus cagayanus, P. h. tomesi, P. leucopterus, P. mearnsi, P. pumilus, P. speciosus, P. vampyrus lanensis
• Reunion - (2 species extinct) P. niger (extinct), P. subniger (extinct)
• Seychelles - P. seychellensis seychellensis
• Singapore - P. vampyrus malaccensis
• Solomon Islands - P. admiralitatum colonus, P. a. goweri, P. a. solomonensis, P. howensis, P. hypomelanus luteus, P. mahaganus, P. nitendiensis,P. rayneri cognatus, P. r. grandis, P. r. lavellanus, P. r. monoensis, P. r. rayneri, P. r. renelli, P. r. rubianus, P. sanctacrucis, P. tonganus gediei, P. tuberculatus, P. woodfordi
• Sri Lanka - P. giganteus giganteus
• Taiwan - P. dasymallus formosus
• Tanzania - P. seychellensis comorensis, P. voeltzkowi
• Thailand - P. hypomelanus condorensis, P. h. geminorum, P. lylei, P. vampyrus intermedius, P. v. malaccensis
• Timor - P. griseus griseus
• Tonga - P. tonganus tonganus
• Vanautu - P. anetianus anetianus, P. a. aorensis, P.a. bakeri, P. a. banksiani, P. a. eotinus, P. a. motalave, P. a. pastoris, P. fundatus, P. tonganus
• Vietnam - P. hypmelanus condorensis, P. lylei, P. vampyrus malaccensis
• Wallis & Futuna - P. tonganus tonganus
• Western Samoa - P. samoensis samoensis, P. tonganus tonganus

Information on this page was compiled and authored by Oliver Thatcher and is currently being updated.

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