Nyctimene rabori, Heaney & Peterson, 1984

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 121

110.

Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat

Nyctimene rabori

French: Nyctimene des Philippines / German: Philippinen-Réhrennasenflughund / Spanish: Nyctimeno de las Filipinas

Taxonomy. Nyctimene rabori Heaney & Peterson, 1984 ,

6 km W of Dumaguete City, Balinsasaye: (9°21'N, 123° 10°E), 835 m, Sibulan Municipality, Negros Oriental Province, Negros Islands, Philippines.

Nyctimene rabori is in the cephalotes species group. Some authors have speculated that it is a synonym of N. cephalotes , but it is retained as a distinct species here until additional research is conducted. Monotypic.

Distribution. Visayas on C Philippines (Sibuyan, Cebu, Negros, and probably Panay Is), and tentatively on Talaud Is (Karakelong I), and Sangihe Is ( Siao and Greater Sangihe); it may have a much wider distribution across much of the Philippines.

Descriptive notes. Head—body c. 113-124 mm, tail 19-30 mm, ear 18-21 mm, hindfoot 16-21 mm, forearm 73-81 mm; weight 60-74 g. Head of the Philippine Tube-nose Fruit Bat is broad, with deep face, broad, bluntly pointed ears, and tubular divergent nostrils. Eyes are large, with amberirises. Pelage is thick and woolly. Females are generally lighter than males, and young are intermediate in color. Dorsal pelage is light (females) to dark (males) brown, with distinctive thin dark blackish brown mid-dorsal stripe (3—4 mm thick) stretching from shoulders to rump. Head is more golden brown, and neck 1s brownish gray. Ventral pelage is light brown (females) to chocolate-brown (males). There is yellow spotting on wings, legs, and ears (ears sometimes not spotted); wings are brown to yellowish brown (substantially darker in males). Second digit of wing has a claw, and wing attaches at second digit of foot. Tail is short, black, and wrinkled, and narrow uropatagium connects at base and stretches to calcar at ankles. Claws are dark brown. Skull and mandible are robust, rostrum is short, sagittal crest is well developed, postorbital processes are strong, zygomatic arch is strongly arched dorsally, and posterior margin of palate is rounded and U-shaped. Single lower incisor is completely deciduous, falling out before adulthood; lower molars are broad and rounded in dorsal view; C, replaces incisors and is long and powerful; P,is elongated and longer than P, and P; and P* has very weak labial posterior cusp.

Habitat. Primary and secondary forests, typically near water bodies, from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 1300 m. The Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat occurs in degraded habitat on Negros and Cebu.

Food and Feeding. The Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat mainly eats figs ( Ficus , Moraceae ).

Breeding. Reproduction of the Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat occurs in May-June. Two young were captured in March on Cebu.

Activity patterns. Philippine Tube-nose Fruit Bats are nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat has a restricted distribution and is considered rare. Total population based on current known distribution and abundance estimates is probably less than 2500 individuals. It was previously thought to only occur in highquality primary forest, but it seems to tolerate degraded habitats on Negros and Cebu. Greatest threat is deforestation that has already destroyed much of its island habitat (especially Cebu). Deforestation rates have slowed in the Philippines, but only because there is such little forest left to cut down. Additional surveys and studies are needed to determine the full extent of its distribution and understand its ecology and threats.

Bibliography. Alburo (2017), Bennett et al. (1997), Bergmans (2001), Carino (2004), Heaney & Peterson (1984), Ong, Rosell-Ambal, Tabaranza, Heaney, Ingle et al. (2008), Paguntalan & Jakosalem (2008), Utzurrum (1995), Vinciguerra & Muller (1993).

Figures

95. African Straw-colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum), 96. Madagascan Straw-colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon dupreanum), 98. Steadfast Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Paranyctimene tenax), 99. Broad-striped Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene aello), 100. Round-eared Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene cyclotis), 101. Mountain Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene certans), 102. Happy Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene wrighiae), 103. Lesser Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene varius), 104. Common Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene albiventer), 105. Dragon Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene draconilla), 106. Demonic Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene masalai), 107. Malaita Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene malaitensis), 108. Umboi Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene vizcaccia), 109. Island Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene major), 110. Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene rabori), 111. Pallas’s Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene cephalotes), 112. Keast’s Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene keasti), 113. Queensland Tube-nosed Fruit Bat (Nyctimene robinsont)

Distribution. Visayas on C Philippines (Sibuyan, Cebu, Negros, and probably Panay Is), and tentatively on Talaud Is (Karakelong I), and Sangihe Is ( Siao and Greater Sangihe); it may have a much wider distribution across much of the Philippines .