Page 68 - JWP 120122

60 60 Heng Pei Pei, Lim Kuang Hock, Cheong Yoon Ling, Noraini Osman, Noraina Majid, Tan Poai Ean,
Heng Pei Pei, Lim Kuang Hock, Cheong Yoon Ling, Noraini Osman, Noraina Majid,
Tan Poai Ean, Shyamini Ann Samson, Ali Aman Marine, Mohd Hazilas Mat Hashim,
Shyamini Ann Samson, Ali Aman Marine, Mohd Hazilas Mat Hashim, Mohd Yahya Izral Umpong,
Mohd Yahya Izral Umpong, Balvinder Singh Gill & Lim Boo Liat
Balvinder Singh Gill & Lim Boo Liat

Received (19-November-2020); Accepted (23-March-2021); Available online
(25-September-2021).

Citation: Pei, H.P, Hock, L.K., Ling, C.Y., Osman, N., Majid, N., Ean, T.P.,
Samson, S.A., Marine, A.A., Hashim, M.H.M., Umpong, M.Y.I., Gill, B.S. &
Liat, L.B. (2021). The collections of the two natives, near threatened pteropid
species in Peninsular Malaysia by the Institute for Medical Research, Malaysia:
the large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) and island flying fox (Pteropus
hypomelanus). Journal of Wildlife and Parks, 36: 59-74.

INTRODUCTION

There are two native pteropid species in Malaysia from the Chiroptera order,
Pteropodidae family and Pteropus genus: the Pteropus vampyrus and Pteropus
hypomelanus. The large flying fox, P. vampyrus known as Malayan flying fox,
greater flying fox, keluang besar; which inhabits tropical forest mainland. It is
the biggest member of the genus Pteropus and weights up to 1.1 kg with a
wingspan of up to 1.5 m (Kunz & Jones, 2000). This species is native to Southeast
Asia including Malaysia (Bates et al., 2008). P. vampyrus rely on undisturbed
forest to survive where they feed on flowers, petai (Leguminosae: Parkia speciosa
and Parkia javanica) (Baker & Harris, 1957), trees of the Rhizophoraceae and
Sonneratioceae families in mangrove forests, blooming flowers of Sonneratia
spp. (Start, 1975), Pandanus leaves and fruits. Morphologically, the fur on the
head is reddish black, while the posterior is black with scattered white hair; has
pointed ears, short but rounded tips wings which allow it to fly slowly but with
great manoeuvrability. Male P. vampyrus usually have stiffer and thicker fur
than females. This species is different from other Pteropus by having darker
underparts and a dark mantle. It has an average lifespan of 15 years in the wild
(Oakland Zoo, 2011; Organisation for Bat Conservation, 2011). In the
behavioral aspect, large flying foxes are highly social and vocal animals that live
in a huge aggregation of colonies up to 15,000 individuals; they are nocturnal
and may fly up to 50 km at night to reach feeding grounds (Pierson &
Rainey,1992).

The island flying fox (P. hypomelanus), also known as small flying fox, variable
flying fox, keluang kecil; occupies the forested islands along the coastal regions
of Peninsular Malaysia (Jones & Kunz, 2000). It has a naked dorsal tibia; an
overall body length of 183 to 240 mm and habitat locality is useful in
distinguishing P. hypomelanus from other species. In addition, the back pale
russet brown with gray and black hairs of P. hypomelanus also distinguishes it
from P. vampyrus (Srinivasulu et al., 2010). Unlike P. vampyrus, they possess
smaller colonies’ numbering reach up to several hundred individuals; and none
have been found travel any farther than 8 km (The Gale Group, Inc., 2003).