Notopteris neocaledonicus, Trouessart, 1908

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 125

115.

New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bat

Notopteris neocaledonicus

French: Notoptére de Nouvelle-Calédonie / German: Neukaledonien-Langschwanzflughund / Spanish: Notéptero de Nueva Caledonia

Other common names: New Caledonian Blossom Bat

Taxonomy. Notopteris macdonaldi [sic] neocoledonica [sic] Trouessart, 1908 ,

“la Roche d’Adio, dans la vallée de Nekliai, pres de Poya ( Nouvelle-Calédonie) [= Adio Rock, inthe NekliaiValley, near Poya ( New Caledonia)].”

Widely used specific name neocaledonica has been changed for gender agreement. Notopteris neocaledonicus has been described as subspecies of N. macdonaldii , but the two are considered distinct based on size. Monotypic.

Distribution. N & C New Caledonia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 93-101 mm, tail 43- 5-54 mm, ear 14-15 mm, hindfoot 22 mm, forearm 58-60 mm. The New Caledonia [Long-tailed Fruit Bat has long rat-like tail disconnected from small uropatagium, very small tragus, wings that join over spine, and long tongue to collect nectar. It is smaller than the Fijian Long-tailed Fruit Bat (N. macdonaldii ). Head is somewhat elongated and bare on most of long rostrum. Ears are relatively short but elongated, with narrowly pointed tips; eyes are large, with dark brownish irises. Dorsal pelage is grayish brown, with somewhat grizzled appearance, and darkest along head, neck, and shoulders. Lower back has only small light brown strip of fur along spine leading to tail and onto legs because wing membrane stretches onto lower back up to edge of spine, providing much greater wing surface area for maneuverability and gives lower back naked wrinkled appearance. Ventral pelage is paler than dorsum and generally light grayish or tannish brown. Wings are black, digits are pinkish brown, and index claw is absent. Tail is long, free from uropatagium, brown, and proportionately longer than in any other pteropodid. Skull is elongated and has infraorbital canal opening well forward on snout (as in most mammals) rather than immediately in front of eyes as in most other pteropodids. I', 1, P!, and P, are missing; molars and premolars are reduced and elongated; and C,is long and well developed.

Habitat. Montane forest.

Food and Feeding. New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bats are nectarivorous.

Breeding. Four female New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bats with young gripping onto them, three lactating females without young, and three pregnant females were captured in December. Females captured in January had early embryos.

Activity patterns. New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bats are nocturnal. They are highly maneuverable fliers, allowing them to better avoid obstacles and also fly vertically. They roost in caves during the day but will temporarily roost in hollow trees while foraging at night. They will switch where they roost in the cave throughout the year, roosting in internal chambers throughout much of the year but closer to the entrance of the cave in March-April.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Roosts have had 200-300 New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bats.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bat is currently known from only a few caves in northern New Caledonia, with a single record in the central part of the island. It is considered uncommon and threatened by roost disturbance and (to a much lesser extent) hunting for consumption. Hunting is regulated by local wildlife laws and has been recorded in Riviere Bleue Provincial Park once. There are ongoing population, distribution, and ecology studies being overseen by the Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien.

Bibliography. Boissenin & Brescia (2007), Brescia (2008a), Brescia & Borel (2004), Flannery (1995a), Giannini & Simmons (2007a).

Figures

114. Fijian Long-tailed Fruit Bat (Notopteris macdonald), 115. New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bat (Notopteris neocaledonicus), 116. White-winged Flying Fox (Desmalopex leucopterus), 117. Mindoro Pallid Flying Fox (Desmalopex microleucopterus), 118. Fijizan Monkey-faced Fruit Bat Marimar (: acrodonta), 119. Bougainville Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pteralopex anceps), 120. Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex atrata), 121. Montane Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex pulchra), 122. New Georgia Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex taki), 123. Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex flanneryi), 124. Black-bellied Blossom Bat (Melonycteris melanops), 125. Fardoulis’s Blossom Bat (Nesonycteris fardoulis), 126. Woodford’s Blossom Bat (Nesonycteris woodfordi)

Distribution. N & C New Caledonia .