Aru flying fox

The Aru flying fox (Pteropus aruensis) is a Critically Endangered species of megabat found in the Aru Islands in Indonesia. It was described by Wilhelm Peters in 1867.^[1] It was formerly considered a subspecies of the black-bearded flying fox.^[2] The species is poorly known, and has not been encountered since the 19th century. It is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN and is listed on CITES appendix II.^[1]

As the Pteropus genus is quite speciose, it is further divided into species groups. The Aru flying fox is placed in the livingstonii species group. Other members of this species group include:

• Livingstone's fruit bat (P. livingstonii)
• Black-bearded flying fox (P. melanopogon)
• Kei flying fox (P. keyensis)^[3]

There is ongoing debate about whether the Aru flying fox is a distinct species.^[1] Some believe that it is a subspecies of the black-bearded flying fox,^[4] while others believe that it is distinct enough to be considered a species.^[5]

They are similar in appearance to the black-bearded flying fox.^[6] The fronts of their heads are a combination of gray, black, and yellowish-white. The backs of their heads are rust-colored, and their chins are a deep red. Their necks are rust or rust-brown in color, creating the appearance of a chestnut collar.^[7][6] Their backs are glossy, yellowish-white, with some black hairs sprinkled throughout.^[7][6] Their lower ventral sides are variable in color, and can be black and rusty yellow, or black and rusty brown. Their upper ventral sides along the sternum are dark brown to black.^[7] Their forearms are 190–191 mm (7.5–7.5 in) long.^[5]

يُحتمل انقراض هذا النوع. في عام ٢٠١٧، قيّم نموذج إحصائي احتمالية انقراض ٢٣ نوعًا من الثدييات المفقودة منذ القرن التاسع عشر. وكان خفاش أرو الطائر واحدًا من خمسة أنواع حدد النموذج أنها انقرضت على الأرجح. لم تُسجّل أي مشاهدة مؤكدة لهذا النوع منذ عام ١٨٧٧. ^{[ ٨ ]} يُصنّف الاتحاد الدولي لحفظ الطبيعة هذا النوع حاليًا ضمن الأنواع المُهددة بالانقراض بشدة، استنادًا إلى احتمالية وجود أقل من ٥٠ فردًا متبقيًا. لم تُفلح البعثات التي رعاها متحف غرب أستراليا في التسعينيات في العثور على أي أفراد. مع ذلك، يُرجّح أن عظم فكٍّ بلا أسنان عُثر عليه عام ١٩٩٢ يُمثّل هذا النوع. وهو خفاش كبير وملون، لذا يُعتقد أن الصيد لعب دورًا في انخفاض أعداده وانقراضه المحتمل. ^{[ ١ ]}