48 MAMMALS OF THE PACIFIC WORLD 



The Flying Foxes (Pteropus and a number of allied genera) 

 are the most widespread of the fruit bats in the western Pa- 

 cific islands, extending north to southern Japan and as far east 

 as Samoa. In Australia five species are recognized, at least one 

 of which is found as far south as the Victorian border. These 

 tailless bats have a fox-like face with a long slender muzzle. 

 Most bats of this group spend the day hanging in trees, often 

 in great numbers. They fly long distances at dusk to find fruit 

 or flowers over apparently well-established flying-ways. The 

 flesh of most is palatable, if the animals have been skinned 

 carefully to prevent the fur from touching it. 



Short-nosed Fruit Bats {Cynopterus and several closely re- 

 lated genera) are restricted to the Oriental region, from In- 

 dia and the Philippine Islands east to Celebes. These bats 

 usually have a short tail. One or two tailless forms are re- 

 stricted to Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula. 



Dog-faced or Rousette Bats (Rousettus), occurring through- 

 out Africa and the Indo-Australian region, extend east as far as 

 the Solomons but are not known from Australia. The muzzle 

 of these bats is a little shorter and heavier than that of the 

 flying foxes. The tail is short. 



Spinal-winged Fruit Bats (Dohsonia) are much like dog- 

 faced bats, but the membranes of their naked wings are at- 

 tached to the body along the midline of the back rather than 

 along the sides. The posterior half of the back is naked, and 

 the index finger of the wing lacks a claw. The tail is as long 

 as the hind foot. Spinal-winged bats are found from Celebes, 

 Bali, and Sumba to the Solomons and Queensland. 



Tube-nosed Fruit Bats {Nyctimene, Paranyctimene) have 

 their nostrils drawn out into tubes projecting beyond the rest 

 of the muzzle, which is shorter than in other fruit bats. The 

 well-marked tail is almost as long as the lower leg. No lower 

 incisors are developed, the lower canine teeth being in contact. 

 The color is brownish gray, with the wings and ears usually 

 spotted with yellowish; in most species a dark brown stripe 



