Swift fruit bat

The swift fruit bat (Thoopterus nigrescens) is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae.^[2]

Swift fruit bat
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Pteropodidae
Genus:	Thoopterus
Species:	T. nigrescens
Binomial name
Thoopterus nigrescens (Gray, 1870)
Swift fruit bat range
Synonyms
Cynopterus marginatus var. nigrescens Gray, 1870 Cynopterus nigrescens Gray, 1870 Cynopterus latidens Dobson, 1878

Taxonomy

The swift fruit bat was initially described in 1870 by British zoologist John Edward Gray.^[3] He placed it in the genus Cynopterus, with a name of Cynopterus marginatus var. nigrescens. The type specimen had been collected on the Indonesian island of Morotai by Alfred Russel Wallace.^[4]

In 1899, German zoologist Paul Matschie created the subgenus Thoopterus within Cynopterus, into which he placed Cynopterus nigrescens.^[5][3] By 1912, Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen classified Thoopterus as a full genus, with T. nigrescens as the type species.^[6]

Description

The combined length of the head and body is 94–109 mm (3.7–4.3 in), with a forearm length of 70–82 mm (2.8–3.2 in). Individuals weigh about 67–99 g (2.4–3.5 oz). The fur is grayish-brown.^[7]

Range and habitat

The swift fruit bat is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found on the following islands: Sulawesi, Buton, Mangole, Wawonii, the Talaud and Sangihe archipelagos, and likely Morotai. It is found at elevations between 0–2,400 m (0–7,874 ft) above sea level. It seems to prefer intact forests, though will also utilize disturbed forests.^[1]