Brisson, 1762
Flying foxes
The tail is absent and the interfemoral membrane little developed (PG1). The wing membranes arise from the sides of the dorsum (PG7) and from the back of the second toe. There is a small claw on the second digit of each wing. The calcars are well developed. The baculum is usually horseshoe-shaped (Fig. 8). In the skull, the length of the rostrum greatly exceeds the lachrymal breadth (Fig. 14). The occipital portion is elongated and subtubular. The basicranial axis is distinctly deflected downwards (Fig. 13). The first lower incisor (i1) is always significantly smaller than the second (i2). The first upper premolar (PM2) is usually absent; M2 and m3 are greatly reduced. The outer cusps of the lower cheekteeth are never deeply bifid and there is no well developed antero-internal basal cusp in any cheektooth.
Dental formula: i - 2 3 c 1 pm - 2 3 4 m 1 2 - = 34.
1 2 - 1 - 2 3 4 1 2 3
This is the largest genus of Megachiroptera with 58 species listed in Koopman, 1993. It is comprised of medium to large fruit bats and is distributed from Mafia and Pemba Islands (off Tanzania), Madagascar, the Islands of the Indian Ocean, Indian subcontinent, south-east Asia, Philippines and Australia. Five species are present in the Indian subcontinent.
Species of Pteropus encountered in the Indian Subcontinent:
Pteropus giganteus
Pteropus vampyrus
Pteropus faunulus
Pteropus hypomelanus
Pteropus melanotus
Species identification
Jump to the Text Key of this genus Page 24: Genus Pteropus.