Lesser tube-nosed bat

The lesser tube-nosed bat (Nyctimene minutus) is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is native to two of the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in northern Indonesia.

Lesser tube-nosed bat
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Pteropodidae
Genus:	Nyctimene
Species:	N. minutus
Binomial name
Nyctimene minutus K. Andersen, 1910[2]
Lesser tube-nosed bat range
Synonyms
Nyctimene varius

Taxonomy

The lesser tube-nosed bat was described as a new species in 1910 by Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen. The holotype had been collected by Alfred Russel Wallace in Tondano, Indonesia.^[2] Two subspecies are recognized, with Andersen also the taxonomic authority: N. m. minutus and N. m. varius.^[3]

Description

The lesser tube-nosed bat has a forearm length of approximately 51 mm (2.0 in).^[2]

Range and status

The bat is endemic to the mountainous forests of Buru and Seram Islands in Maluku Province. It is not found on nearby Ambon Island. It has been documented at a range of elevations from 700–900 m (2,300–3,000 ft) above sea level. Its habitat is mid-montane forests.^[1]

In 2008, it was evaluated as a vulnerable species by the IUCN.^[1]