Pteropus pumilus, G. S. Miller, 1911

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 156-157

178.

Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox

Pteropus pumilus

French: Roussette naine / German: Goldmantel-Flughund / Spanish: Zorro volador dorado

Taxonomy. Pteropus pumilus G. S. Miller, 1911 ,

“Palmas Island [= Miangas Island], southeast of Mindanao,” Indonesia.

Pteropus pumilus is in the vampyrus species group, and it includes balutus and tablas:. Monotypic.

Distribution. C & S Philippines, including Mindoro, Tablas, Sibuyan, and Masbate Is, most Visayas Is, Camiguin, NW Mindanao, Balut Is, and Miangas (Palmas) I.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 155-180 mm (tailless), ear 20-28 mm, hindfoot 35 mm, forearm 94-113 mm; weight 145- 200 g. Muzzle of the Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox is moderately short, sparsely haired, and pinkish, with contrasting dark gray nostrils. Eyes are large, with chestnutbrownirises. Ears are small, pointed, and brown. Some individuals are almost entirely honey-brown in one extreme, and others are pale yellow; commonly, head and body pelage are highly variable from yellowish gray to honey-brown. Head pelage issilvery gray and silky around eyes and cheeks, grading to pale yellowish gray in cap, sometimes with wash of brown or turning almost white. Mantle is honey-brown, back and rump are golden to pale brown, chest and belly are honey-brown, and pelage is generally soft, woolly, and silvery. Wing membranes are brown, inserted on second toe; index claw is present; dorsal surface of forearm has whitish hairs; and tibia is naked. Uropatagium and calcar are small. Skull is typical pteropine but relatively small and gracile. Laterally, rostrum is low, thin, and moderately short; zygoma is thin; and braincase is strongly deflected downward. Dorsally, rostrum is short and conical, nasals are very narrow, interorbital space has prominent frontal recesses, postorbital constriction is poorly defined, temporal lines are parallel and do not form true sagittal crest, and nuchal crest is inconspicuous. Ventrally, palate is relatively wide, flat, and long; tooth rows diverge very slightly posteriorly; post-dental palate is short, wide, and concave at end; and ectopterygoids are thin. Mandible has long sloping symphysis and moderately thin body; coronoid is large and raised almost vertically, with wide rounded tip; and angle is round and inconspicuous. Upper incisors are separated, with flat cutting edges; C' is moderately short and grooved, with lingual cingulum; P' is a spicule, shed in most adults; posterior cheekteeth are relatively low, with rectangular occlusal outline and well-defined cusps; and M? is small. I is separate and smaller than I; C, is small and slanted laterally; P, is low and peg-like; cheekteeth are relatively tall anteriorly, with rectangular occlusal outline; and M,is small. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 38 and FN = 72.

Habitat. [Lowland rainforests from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 1250 m.

Food and Feeding. The Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox is predominantly frugivorous. On Panay,it ate fruit from at least 28 plant genera. Flowers visited include species of Erythrina (Fabaceae) and Barringtonia (Lecythidaceae) .

Breeding. The Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox is seasonally monoestrous and polygynous, breeding once a year. Mating is not aggressive. Litter size is one. Females care for young for c.11 months. Maturity is reached at 11-12 months of age. Maximum longevity in captivity was 17 years.

Activity patterns. The Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox is nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox is solitary or lives in small, sexually segregated groups with little social interactions. Individuals will come together in small numbers in fruiting trees.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Deforestation and overhunting have caused declines in populations of Little Golden-mantled Flying Foxes. It occurs in protected areas. Captive management and breeding colonies have been established in- and ex-situ.

Bibliography. Almeida et al. (2014), Andersen (1912b), Heaney, Balete et al. (1998), Heaney, Rosell-Ambal et al. (2008), Luft (2002), Reeder et al. (2006), Rickart et al. (1999), Simmons (2005).

Figures

174. Livingstone’s Flying Fox (Pteropus livingstonii), 175. Pemba Flying Fox (Pleropus voeltzkowi), 176. Ryukyu Flying Fox (Pleropus dasymallus), 177. Bonin Flying Fox (Pteropus pselaphon), 178. Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox (Pleropus pumilus), 179. Lyle’s Flying Fox (Pteropus lylei), 180. Indian Flying Fox (Pleropus medius), 181. Rodrigues Flying Fox (Pteropus rodricensus), 182. Large Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus), 183. Aldabra Flying Fox (Pleropus aldabrensis), 184. Malagasy Flying Fox (Pteropus rufus), 185. Seychelles Flying Fox (Pleropus seychellensis), 186. Greater Mascarene Flying Fox (Pteropus niger), 187. Aru Flying Fox (Pteropus aruensis), 188. Kai Flying Fox (Pleropus keyensis), 189. Black-bearded Flying Fox (Pleropus melanopogon), 190. South Moluccan Flying Fox (Pteropus chrysoproctus), 191. North Moluccan Flying Fox (Pteropus caniceps)

Distribution. C & S Philippines , including Mindoro, Tablas, Sibuyan, and Masbate Is, most Visayas Is, Camiguin, NW Mindanao, Balut Is, and Miangas (Palmas) I.