Pteropus alecto

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Black Flying Fox is generally gregarious and roosts colonially. In Papua New Guinea, colonies can contain several hundred up to 3000 individuals. In Australia, total population estimates vary widely (e. g. 108,000 - 250,000 individuals in 2016). In Sulawesi, it is the most common flying fox, but the population is threatened by repeated hunting events, and no total population estimates are available. Genetic evidence suggests that the Sulawesi nominate form is a single panmictic population. Using satellite telemetry, it has been recorded to fly 150 km between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, with a maximum of 220 km covered in two days between roosts. Average nightly movement between roosts is 20 km. Movements vary greatly, and some individuals remain relatively sedentary where food is abundant. In Brisbane, individuals moved ¢. 26 km during nightly foraging. It roosts with other flying fox species, with some degree of physical segregation among species. Colonies leave roosts in a loose stream. During the day, it rests at roosts and exhibits typical pteropodine activity, such as wing flapping and occasional conspecific territorial interactions. In a study in Australia, active territorial defense was recorded by late January, with males scent-marking territories by rubbing neck glands on branches and tree trunks throughout the day. Territorial defense including displays (vocalizations or brief pursuits) or physical contact (wrestling or wing slapping) occurs in response to encroachment on defended branches.

Sumber: Pteropodidae

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. In Australia the Black Flying Fox has recently expanded on eastern coast as far south as around Sydney. In Indonesia, it is threatened primarily by intensive, unsustainable hunting and habitat loss of roosting and foraging sites. Bushmeat market in Manado, northern Sulawesi, extends outward to find source populations to supply an estimated 100 tons of Black Flying Foxes, importing from other Indonesian islands to satisfy demand. No national laws protect the Black Flying Fox. In New Guinea, it is primarily threatened by loss of foraging and roosting habitat along with hunting. In Australia, it is threatened by habitat conversion of foraging and roosting habitat to agriculture, pastureland, and urban development. Additional threats include electrocution on powerlines, entanglement on barbed wire or power lines, persecution by humans, and disturbance of maternity colonies. There has been an increase in persecution of flying foxes due to public concerns about diseases, smell, and noise associated with large colonies, particularly as they move into areas where they were rare. The Black Flying Fox is increasingly exposed to extreme heat events that can lead to high rates of mortality, especially for young.

Sumber: Pteropodidae