| Blanford's fruit bat | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Pteropodidae |
| Genus: | Sphaerias Miller, 1906 |
| Species: | S. blanfordi |
| Binomial name | |
| Sphaerias blanfordi (Thomas, 1891) | |
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| Blanford's fruit bat range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Blanford's fruit bat (Sphaerias blanfordi) is amountain species ofmegabat. It is found in several countries in South and Southeast Asia.
Blanford's fruit bat wasdescribed as a new species in 1891 by English zoologistOldfield Thomas, who put it in the genusCynopterus (C. blanfordi).[2] Theeponym for its specific epithet "blanfordi" is English naturalistWilliam Thomas Blanford.[3]
In 1906, American zoologistGerrit Smith Miller Jr. proposed the new genusSphaerias. He justified the inclusion ofC. blanfordi in this genus as opposed toCynopterus due to its lack of acalcar and the development of theincisors, whose shape he called "peculiar".[4]
It occurs in several countries in South and Southeast Asia, including Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.[1] In 2010, it was documented in Laos for the first time.[5] It has been documented at a range of elevations from 308–2,710 m (1,010–8,891 ft) above sea level.[1]
As of 2021, it is listed as aleast-concern species by theIUCN. It meets the criteria for this designation due to its large geographic range and presumably large population size. Additionally, it is unlikely to be experiencing rapid population decline.[1] The IUCN listed no major threats to the species,[1] but the first record of it in Laos was an individual sold asbushmeat at a market.[5]
