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Greater naked-backed bat - DOBSONIA MOLUCCENSIS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Bat": "Bat" comes from Old Norse "ledhrblaka," "leather flapper." It became "bakka" and then "bat."
Location: New Guinea.
Habitat: Prefers tropical forests and woodlands.
Description: This is a large fruit bat with a doglike face and ears. Its wings are attached along the spine. It has a short tail, and no claw on its first finger. Its fur is brownish with black shading on head. The length of its head and body is 7.5 to 8 in, with a forearm of 5 to 6 in, and it weighs up to 16 oz.
Behavior: This highly specialized fruit bat, the largest of the twelve species inhabiting the island region from the Philippines to the Solomons, usually roosts in caves or mine tunnels. It has also been seen hanging in mango trees. It is unique among flying foxes by having its wing membranes attached along the middle-back, thus appearing to have no hair on the back: therefore "naked." There is indeed fur under the wings, however, which covers the bat's back. Such extended wing mass - about 3.5 feet - apparently increases the bat's agility in flight, as it is able to maneuver easily through thick rain forest, which other bats of comparable size cannot manage. This species can also hover by flapping its giant wings while foraging among forest trees. Nocturnal, it eats fruit, including the native figs, and feeds on the nectar of gumtree blossoms.
Reproduction: Its breeding habits are unknown.
Go to the Bats Page to get a general discussion of this flying mammal.
Go to the Bats Index to study the other bats included in America Zoo.
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