Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat

Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat or Andersen's bare-backed fruit bat is a large cave-dwelling species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago including the Admiralty Islands in Papua New Guinea.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1914 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas. The holotype used to describe the species was collected by Albert Stewart Meek and his brother-in-law, Albert Frederic Eichhorn, in October 1913. The eponym for the species name "anderseni" is Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen. Of Andersen, Thomas wrote: "I have named the species in honour of Dr. K. Andersen, in recognition of the striking monograph of Dobsonia contained in his Catalogue, a monograph which has entirely revolutionized our knowledge of the group."

Description

Its forearm length is. Its fur is very dark brown, with its head nearly black.

Range and habitat

Its range includes several islands of Papua New Guinea. It has been documented at elevations up to above sea level.

Conservation

As of 2020, it is listed as a least-concern species by the IUCN. Threats to this species include overharvesting for bushmeat or disturbance of the caves where it roosts during the day.