- Scientific Name
- Pteropus livingstonii
- Family
- Pteropodidae
- Global Conservation Status (IUCN)
- Critically Endangered
- Diet
- Frugivore
Livingstone’s fruit bats feed on plants, including pollen, fruit and leaves. Common diet items include kapok fruit and flowers and figs. Individuals in captivity have been observed catching and feeding on insects and insects have been previously reported in wild bat diets.
Fun Fact: A recent study using GPS tags to track two Livingstone’s Flying Foxes found that these bats traveled between 9 and 13 kilometers a day, on average.
Appearance: Livingstone’s fruit bats are black or dark brown with large round ears and copper-colored eyes. Also sometimes called Livingstone’s Flying Fox, they are large bats with wingspans reaching up to 5 feet long.
Habitat: Livingstone’s fruit bats are found only on the islands of Anjouan and Moheli, part of the Comoros islands off the coast of Madagascar. They prefer roosting in native trees, often on steep, south-east facing slopes.
Conservation Concerns: With only about 1,200 individuals in the wild, the Livingstone’s fruit bat is categorized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. They are primarily threatened by habitat loss from timber and agricultural practices. Dahari, a local conservation NGO is working to monitor bat populations and protect critical roosting and feeding habitat.
Bat Conservation International projects including work with Livingstone’s fruit bats: Endangered Species Interventions