Common blossom bat

Description

Syconycteris australis is a bat from the genus Syconycteris that occurs from Ceram in the Moluccas to New Guinea,the Bismarck archipelago and Northeast Australia.It is the most common and widespread species of the genus.In the area of ​​New Guinea this species was found on the islands of Ambon,Bagabag,Batanta,Biak-Supiori,Boano,Ceram,Crown,Fergusson,Gebe,Goodenough,Haruku,Japen,the Kai Islands,Kairiru,Kiriwina,Long,Manus,Misima,New Britain,New Ireland,Normanby,Rossel,Sakar,Salawati,Sideia,Sudest,Tolokiwa,Vokeo,Wokam ( Aru Islands ) and Woodlark.The species is very common on some islands,but in other areas,such as New Ireland,it is rare.On New Guinea it is known all over the island up to 3000 m altitude.It is the most common bat of the island;it occurs in almost all habitats.In Australia he comes along the east coast from the tip of Cape York in the north to Kempsey (New South Wales ) in the south.He rusts there in rainforest,but forages in all kinds of habitats S.australis is a variable species.In older classifications,three species were recognized within S.australis,which differed in the presence or presence of certain teeth,but these characteristics appear to be variable within populations.The size also varies.The largest animals are found on Ceram (subspecies major ) and the smallest southeast of New Guinea (subspecies crassa ).On the island of Gebe,which lies close to the spread of the even larger S.carolinae,relatively small animals live.Seven subspecies are now recognized,but there are still several uncertainties: copies of S.australisfrom the mountains of New Guinea may represent a separate form,on Biak-Supiori an undescribed subspecies occurs,the populations on Haruku and Boano are possibly a separate subspecies,not a part of S.a.major,and the subspecies major from Ceram may be a separate speciesNowadays,the following subspecies are recognized: S.a.Australis (Peters,1867) (Australia) S.a.Crassa Thomas,1895 (islands southeast of New Guinea) S.a.Finschi Matschie,1899 (Bismarck archipelago) S.a.Keyensis K.Andersen,1911 (Kai Islands) S.a.Major K.Andersen,1911 (Ceram and Ambon) S.a.Naias K.Andersen,1911 (Woodlark) S.a.Papuana Matschie,1899 (New Guinea) S.australis rust in trees in the rainforest,alone or in small groups.He eats nectar,pollen and sometimes soft fruit.A boy is born all year round,usually one at a time,but sometimes also two It is a small,brown flying fox.He is very similar to the small long-toed furs ( Macroglossus minimus ),but the tail is totally missing,just like the remains of the uropatagium,the fly skin between the hind legs,which still occur with the small long-toed fox.The two other species of the genus,S.carolinae and S.hobbit,resemble S.australis but differ in detail.