Kosrae flying fox


The Kosrae flying fox is a species of megabat in the genus Pteropus found on the island of Kosrae, Micronesia.
The Kosrae flying fox has recovered to 2,000–3,000 bats but faces ongoing threats.

Etymology

Pteropus ualanus was first documented in 1824 by French biologist René Primevère Lesson. Lesson first identified Pteropus ualanus as Pteropus karaudren; however, P. karaudren was later recognized as a synonym for P. mariannus. The first specimen was collected in 1827 by Russian biologist Heinrich von Kittlitz. The first specimen was collected in 1827 by Russian biologist Heinrich von Kittlitz.

Conservation

Pteropus ualanus is vulnerable to population bottlenecks because of their geographic location. In 1926, P. ualanus nearly went extinct due to a population bottleneck caused by an unknown disease.