First record of the Orii's flying-fox, Pteropus dasymallus inopinatus on Okinoerabu-jima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, with special reference to their inhabitation

概要

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There has so far been no official record of the Ryukyu flying-fox, Pteropus dasymallus on Okinoerabu-jima Island. We confirmed their presence via information provided by local people and a flying–fox photograph taken on the island in March 2003. Morphological characteristics of the photographed bat and another flying-fox captured in June 2011 indicate that the bats on the island belong to the subspecies, P. d. inopinatus. We also confirmed its occurrence in October and December 2011, and in January and February 2012. On the island, at least four bats were counted simultaneously at a feeding site during the survey in February 2012. The bats were feeding on the fruits of Ficus superba, Crataeva religiosa, Ficus septica and Terminalia catappa. Our observations strongly suggest that bats stay and breed on this island throughout the year, without seasonal migration to other islands.