Nyctimene major, Dobson, 1877

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 120-121

109.

Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat

Nyctimene major

French: Nyctiméne géant / German: GroRer Rohrennasenflughund / Spanish: Nyctimeno gigante

Other common names: Dobson's Tube-nosed Bat, Island Tube-nosed Bat; Nendo Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (sanctacrucis)

Taxonomy. Harpyia major Dobson, 1877 ,

“Duke-of-York Island,” Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia.

Nyctimene major was traditionally in the cephalotes species group along with N. rabori , N. robinsoni , N. cephalotes , and N. keasti . Species group arrangement in Nyctimene is currently tentative, and additional research will alter arrangement presented here because genetic data do not support most of the species groups in this genus. As a whole, Nyctimene is under revision, and the current subspecies list is tentative because there might be multiple species included under currently recognized N. major. The probably extinct taxon from Santa Cruz Island, sanctacrucis, is generally recognized as a distinct species, but it is most likely a subspecies of N. major (as treated here) or even a synonym. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution. N.m.majorDobson,1877—BismarckArchipelago(NewIreland,DukeofYork,NewBritain,Sakar,Bagabag,andKarkarIs)andSchoutenIs(Kadovar).

N.m.geminusK.Andersen,1910—D’EntrecasteauxIs(Goodenough,Fergusson,andNormanby),LouisiadeArchipelago(Rogeia,Sideia,Misima,Sudest,andRosselIs),TrobriandIs(Kiriwina),andAlcesterI.

N.m.wllulaeThomas,1904—WoodlarkI.

N.m.sanctacrucisTroughton,1931—SantaCruz(=Nendo)IintheSolomonIs(prob-ablyextinct).

N. m. scitulus K. Andersen, 1910 — Solomon Is (Bougainville, Shortland, Choiseul, Kolombangara, New Georgia, Rendova, Vangunu, Santa Isabel, Pavuvu, Nggela Sule, Guadalcanal, and Malaita).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 90-138 mm, tail 18-32- 6 mm, ear 12-18 mm, hindfoot 15-24 mm, forearm 65-2-86- 7 mm; weight 52-100 g. Head of the Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat is broad, with deep face, and tubular divergent nostrils and broad, bluntly pointed ears. Eyes are large, with amber irises. Pelage is thick and woolly. Dorsal pelage is mottled grayish brown and white, with distinctive thin dark blackish mid-dorsal stripe (4-8 mm thick) stretching from shoulders to rump (may fade anteriorly or posteriorly in some individuals). Ventral pelage is yellowish gray-brown. There is yellow spotting on wings, legs, and ears (ears sometimes not spotted); wings are brown. Second digit of wing has a claw, and wing attaches at second digit of foot. Tail is short, black, and wrinkled, and narrow uropatagium connects at base and stretches to calcar at ankles. Claws are dark brown. Skull and mandible are robust, and rostrum is short. 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; P,is elongate and longer than P, and P,.

Habitat. Primary rainforests, gardens, and plantations from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 900 m.

Food and Feeding. The Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat feeds primarily on figs ( Ficus sp. , Moraceae ) and seedpods of Gymnostoma papuanum ( Casuarinaceae ) by chewing pods, swallowingjuice, and spitting out fibrousbits.

Breeding. Pregnant Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bats have been reported in August-November and lactating females from mid-December to earlyJanuary on Normanby Island.

Activity patterns. The Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat roosts in foliage during the day and forages at night.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat roosts alone or in small groups of 2—4 individuals.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. The Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat has a wide distribution over many islands in Melanesia and is relatively common in many regions (being less common whereit is sympatric with other species of Nyctimene ). It might be threatened by deforestation throughout its distribution. The Santa Cruz Island subspecies, the “Nendo Tube-nosed Fruit Bat” (N. m. sanctacrucis), 1s classified as a separate species on The IUCN Red List as Data Deficient because it is only known from the type specimen collected in the late 19" century with continued reports of it on the island until 1907 when it was last seen. Several extensive expeditions to the island in the 1980s and 1990sfailed to find it there (although exact techniques used and areas trapped/searched are unknown). The Nendo Tube-nosed Fruit Bat is likely extinct but is retained here as possibly extinct until taxonomic issues are resolved.

Bibliography. Bergmans (2001), Bonaccorso (1998), Colgan & Costa (2002), Flannery (1995a), Lamoreux (2008), Macaranas etal. (2003).

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)

Subspecies and Distribution. N.m.majorDobson,1877—BismarckArchipelago(NewIreland,DukeofYork,NewBritain,Sakar,Bagabag,andKarkarIs)andSchoutenIs(Kadovar). N.m.geminusK.Andersen,1910—D’EntrecasteauxIs(Goodenough,Fergusson,andNormanby),LouisiadeArchipelago(Rogeia,Sideia,Misima,Sudest,andRosselIs),TrobriandIs(Kiriwina),andAlcesterI. N.m.wllulaeThomas,1904—WoodlarkI. N.m.sanctacrucisTroughton,1931—SantaCruz(=Nendo)IintheSolomonIs(prob-ablyextinct). N. m. scitulus K. Andersen, 1910 — Solomon Is (Bougainville, Shortland, Choiseul, Kolombangara, New Georgia , Rendova, Vangunu, Santa Isabel, Pavuvu, Nggela Sule, Guadalcanal, and Malaita).