Ashy-headed flying fox explained

The ashy-headed flying fox or North Moluccan flying fox (Pteropus caniceps) is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Indonesia.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1870 by British zoologist John Edward Gray.The holotype had been collected on the Bacan Islands by Alfred Russel Wallace.^[1] Its species name "caniceps" means "gray-headed" from Latin canus (gray) and -ceps (headed).This species has two subspecies:

• P. c. caniceps
• P. c. dobsoni^[2] (named for zoologist George Edward Dobson)

Description

Its forearm is NaNmm long.^[3]

Range and habitat

This species is endemic to Indonesia.It has been found at elevations up to 1630m (5,350feet) above sea level.

Conservation

As of 2016, it is assessed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN.It meets the criteria for this assessment because its population decline has been at least 30% from 1992 - 2016.Additionally, it is experiencing habitat fragmentation, and it is losing habitat due to logging and mining activities.

Notes and References

1. Book: Gray. J. E.. 1870. Catalogue of monkeys, lemurs, and fruit-eating bats in the collection of the British Museum. Order of the Trustees. 107.
2. Web site: North Moluccan Flying Fox . BioLib.cz . January 12, 2013.
3. Book: Flannery. T. F.. 1995. Mammals of the south-west Pacific & Moluccan Islands. Cornell University Press. 978-0801431500. 184.