Angolan fruit bat
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Pteropodidae
Genus:	Myonycteris
Species:	M. angolensis
Binomial name
Myonycteris angolensis (Bocage, 1898)
Angolan rousette range
Synonyms
Rousettus angolensis (Bocage, 1898) Lissonycteris angolensis (Bocage, 1898) Cynonycteris angolensis Bocage, 1898

The Angolan fruit bat, Angolan rousette or silky bat (Myonycteris angolensis) is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, moist savanna, and rocky areas.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described in 1898 by Portuguese zoologist José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage. Bocage initially placed it in the now-defunct genus Cynonycteris, with a binomial of C. angolensis.^[2] Its species name "angolensis" is Latin for "Angolan," likely in reference to the fact that the holotype was collected near Pungo Andongo in Angola.

Description

Its forearm length is 68–90 mm (2.7–3.5 in) and it weighs 60–87 g (2.1–3.1 oz).^[3]

Biology and ecology

It is frugivorous. Consumed fruits include fruits of various trees, including fig trees, Anthocleista, Milicia excelsa, and Adenia.^[3]

Range and habitat

The Angolan rousette has a wide range encompassing parts of West, East, and Central Africa. It is found from sea level to 4,000 m (13,000 ft) above sea level.^[1]

Conservation

As of 2017, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this classification because it has a wide geographic range; its population is presumably large; its range includes protected areas; it is not likely to be in rapid population decline; and it tolerates a degree of anthropogenic habitat disturbance.^[1]

References