The flying foxes Pteropus samoensis and Pteropus tonganus: status in Fiji and Samoa

Abstract

Presents current knowledge on these two fruit bats, from surveys of 50 sites conducted in 1989. Results are presented in sections on: general description and morphology; field identification; habitats and ecology, with information on social organization, habitat, activity patterns, foods and feeding, and reproductive cycle. The bats' status is discussed in terms of the particular conditions on different islands, and counts from survey sites in 1986 and 1989 are tabulated, P. tonganus being much more common than P. samoensis. Futher sections deal with cultural and resources significance, subsistence and commercial hunting, concluding with recommendations for management and implementation of conservation regulations. -J.W.Cooper