Black-bellied Fruit Bat

Black-bellied Fruit Bat
Black-bellied Fruit Bat
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Melonycteris
Species: M. melanops
Binomial name
Melonycteris melanops
Dobson, 1877
Black-bellied Fruit Bat range

The Black-bellied Fruit Bat (Melonycteris melanops) is a species of bat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. During daytime, this tiny flying fox roosts preferably among dry banana leaves, a perfect camouflage given its orange, brown, black and white belly fur pattern. Males are resource defenders, in gardens they try to monopolize banana flowers within a territory.

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