Nyctimene masalai, Smith & Hood, 1983

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 119-120

106.

Demonic Tube-nosed Fruit Bat

Nyctimene masalai

French: Nyctimene de Nouvelle-Irlande / German: \Waldgeist-Rohrennasenflughund / Spanish: Nyctimeno de Nueva Irlanda

Other common names: Demonic Tube-nosed Bat

Taxonomy. Nyctimene masala: J. D. Smith & Hood, 1983 ,

“Ralum, 10 m., New Ireland Island, New Ireland Prov|ince]., Papua New Guinea (lat. 3° 33’ S, long. 152° 22’ E.”

Nyctimene masalai is in the albiventer species group. Its validity is currently uncertain, and it has been included as a synonym of N. albrventer. Monotypic.

Distribution. Bismarck Archipelago (New Ireland I); it might also extend throughout the rest of the archipelago and other Is.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 94-103 mm, tail 21-22 mm, ear 14 mm, hindfoot 13-14 mm, forearm 63-5-67- 5 mm; weight 45-2-52- 3 g. Head of the Demonic Tubenosed Fruit Bat is broad, with deep face, broad bluntly pointed ears, and tubular divergent nostrils. Dorsal pelage is mottled dark reddish brown, with thin, dark blackish mid-dorsal stripe stretching from back of head to base of tail. Ventral pelage is white, with yellowish brown wash. There is white spotting on wing digits, ear edges, and tube nostrils. Wings are dark brown, membranes have some yellowish spotting, second digit of wing has a claw, and wing attaches at second digit of foot. Tail is very short, black, and wrinkled, and narrow uropatagium connects at base and stretches to calcar at ankles. Claws are black. Skull and mandible are robust, and rostrum is short but comparatively broad for the genus. Single lower incisor is completely deciduous,falling out before adulthood; lower molars are broad and rounded in dorsal view; C, replaces incisors and is long and powerful; and P,is elongated and longer than P, and P,.

Habitat. Probably forested habitats. Recorded around sea level.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. There is almost nothing known about ecology, taxonomy, and threats of the Demonic Tubenosed Fruit Bat.

Bibliography. Bergmans (2001), Flannery (1995a), Kitchener, Packer & Maryanto (1993), Helgen & Bonaccorso (2008a), Smith & Hood (1983).

Figures

95. African Straw-colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum), 96. Madagascan Straw-colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon dupreanum), 98. Steadfast Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Paranyctimene tenax), 99. Broad-striped Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene aello), 100. Round-eared Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene cyclotis), 101. Mountain Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene certans), 102. Happy Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene wrighiae), 103. Lesser Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene varius), 104. Common Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene albiventer), 105. Dragon Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene draconilla), 106. Demonic Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene masalai), 107. Malaita Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene malaitensis), 108. Umboi Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene vizcaccia), 109. Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene major), 110. Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene rabori), 111. Pallas’s Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene cephalotes), 112. Keast’s Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene keasti), 113. Queensland Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene robinsont)

Distribution. Bismarck Archipelago (New Ireland I); it might also extend throughout the rest of the archipelago and other Is.