Rodrigues fruit bat
Pteropus rodricensis
Rodrigues fruit bats are also known as Rodrigues flying foxes, due to their fox-like facial features. They are brightly coloured and can be yellow, orange and red or silver and black. They can be up to 20 centimetres (cm) long with a wingspan of 90cm. They can weigh up to 350 grams.
They have small bodies, but the lightweight bones in their wings make it easier for them to fly. The bats are active at sunrise and sunset when they go hunting for food. This species was first brought to captivity as conservationists were worried that a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, could easily wipe out their small population on the island of Rodrigues. The Rodrigues fruit bats at Belfast Zoo are found in the Rainforest house where they share their humid home with a number of exotic bird species.
In 2018 we welcomed the arrival of nine critically endangered Rodrigues fruit bats from Chester Zoo.
IUCN red list status
The IUCN status of the Rodrigues fruit bat is endangered.
For more information on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org.
Animal class
Mammal
Conservation status
The IUCN believes the Rodrigues fruit bat faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. The species is listed under Appendix II of CITES.
Habitat
Rainforest
Population
Rodrigues fruit bats are extinct on Mauritius and Round Island and are now only found on Rodrigues Island.
Diet
Herbivore. This bat eats fruits, such as bananas, mangoes and papayas, as well as plant material and insects.