A bat on the brink? A range-wide survey of the Critically Endangered Livingstone's fruit bat Pteropus livingstonii

Abstract

The Livingstone's fruit bat Pteropus livingstonii is endemic to the small islands of Anjouan and Mohéli in the Comoros archipelago, Indian Ocean. The species is under threat from anthropogenic pressure on the little that remains of its forest habitat, now restricted to the islands’ upper elevations and steepest slopes. We report the results of the most comprehensive survey of this species to date, and present recommendations for ongoing field conservation efforts and monitoring. Morning counts were conducted at roost sites in the wet and dry seasons during 2011–2013. Habitat structure around the roosting sites was characterized and roost numbers compared, to investigate the potential effect of habitat loss and degradation. We estimate the population to comprise c. 1,260 individuals distributed across 21 roosts on the two islands. All occupied roosting sites were restricted to a narrow altitudinal range, and roosting populations in agroforestry areas were smaller than those found in degraded and undisturbed forest. Only one of the 16 roosts on Anjouan was found in undisturbed, old-growth forest with no nearby signs of clearance for agriculture or landslides following tree-felling upslope. Following a suspected severe population decline as a result of widespread and long-term forest loss Livingstone's fruit bat has been recategorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Staphylococcus aureus lineages associated with a free-ranging population of the fruit bat Pteropus livingstonii retained over 25 years in captivity

“…Bats belong to the order Chiroptera , which includes more species than any other mammalian order, but also has the greatest number of species at risk 7 . Livingstone’s fruit bats ( Pteropus livingstonii ) are the second largest bat species in the world, and are critically endangered; the wild population is restricted to the Comoros Republic and estimated to consist of only 1500 individuals 7 , 8 .…”

Flight patterns in zoo‐housed fruit bats (Pteropus spp.)

“…Island species such as the endangered Rodrigues fruit bat, Pteropus rodricensis , and critically endangered Livingstone's fruit bat, Pteropus livingstonii , are particularly at risk (Jones et al, ), and increasingly require long‐term solutions and management plans. P. livingstonii , for example, has a very limited distribution, restricted to steep, high mountain slopes, and is suffering from the continued loss of natural forest on Anjouan and Moheli in its native Comoro Islands (Daniel et al, ; Ibouroi, Cheha, Astruc, Dhurham, & Besnard, ).…”

An exploratory investigation of echocardiographic parameters and the effects of posture on cardiac structure and function in the Livingstone's fruit bat (Pteropus livingstonii)

“…As a direct result of the rapid deforestation of their native habitat Livingstone's fruit bats (P. livingstonii) have become critically endangered . As part of the Species Action Plan an ex situ captive breeding program was established in 1992 with 18 wild caught specimens.…”