Fijian monkey-faced bat
species of mammal
The Fijian monkey-faced bat (Mirimiri acrodonta), also known as the Fijian flying fox or Fijian flying monkey, is a megabat endemic to Fiji. It was discovered in old-growth cloud forest on Des Vœux Peak, the second highest mountain peak (1,195 m; 3,921 ft) on the island of Taveuni by William and Ruth Beckon in 1976, and is Fiji's only endemic mammal. It has recently been transferred from Pteralopex to its own monotypic genus Mirimiri.
Taxonomy
When initially encountered, this species was placed in the genus Pteralopex (the "monkey-faced bats"). All other members of the genus are found in the Solomon Islands. However, genetics research indicates significant genetic divergence between this species and Pteralopex. Because it is no longer classified in the genus Pteralopex, some now refer to it as the Fijian flying fox rather than the Fijian monkey-faced bat.
Description
These bats weigh 222–362 grams (0.5–0.8 lb). Their forearms are 120 millimetres (4.7 in) long. Their fur is uniformly tan and thick, sometimes hiding their ears.
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This entry incorporates text from “Fijian monkey-faced bat” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.