Red fruit bat
species of mammal

The red fruit bat or red fig-eating bat (Stenoderma rufum) is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae, in the monotypic genus Stenoderma. It is found in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Description
Red fruit bats can range from tan to dark brown in color and their wings can be dark brown to black with red or pinked colored arms and figures. The nose-leaf are erect and shaped like a lace with a tan coloration. The ears pointed and go from light to dark brown, starting from the base of the ear and to the top of the ears. The eyes are small and oval shaped with brown iris and a circular pupils. Red fruit bats that are dark brown in color are the ones that have molted their juvenile fur to their adult fur. Bats from Puerto Rico are a darker brown, Dresden Brown than the bats found on St. John, Buckthorn Brown. Both adults and juveniles have darker coloration on the ventral side than on the dorsal side, and they have white spots on the sides of the neck near the base of the ear and at the wing joints.
The public source identifies “Red fruit bat” as species of mammal. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around fruit, species and mammal.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Red fruit bat”, the useful work is to connect “species of mammal” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q275359. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Red fruit bat”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Red fruit bat primary sources, Red fruit bat archive and fruit research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Red fruit bat”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Red fruit 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.