Head to head
Livingstone's Fruit Bat vs Rodrigues Flying Fox
Livingstone's Fruit Bat
VS Rodrigues Flying Fox
Livingstone's fruit bat and the Rodrigues flying fox are both rare flying foxes confined to small Indian Ocean islands, but their recent histories have gone in opposite directions.
| Livingstone's Fruit Bat | Rodrigues Flying Fox | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pteropus livingstonii | Pteropus rodricensis |
| Home | The Comoro Islands of Anjouan and Moheli in the western Indian Ocean | Rodrigues Island, part of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean |
| Habitat | Montane and lowland forest | Forest, woodland, and plantations |
| Activity | Unusually active in daylight, feeding by day as well as at night | Roosts in groups in trees by day and feeds at night |
| Size | A large flying fox with a wingspan of well over a metre | Not specifically documented |
| Main threat | Clearing of island forest for farming and fuel | Cyclones that strip fruit and trees from the small island |
| Population | Perhaps around a thousand animals, in remnant forest | Recovered from fewer than a hundred in the 1970s to many thousands |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered, with a decreasing population | Endangered, with an increasing population |
Livingstone's Fruit Bat vs Rodrigues Flying Fox: common questions
Which flying fox has recovered?
The Rodrigues flying fox, which fell to fewer than a hundred animals in the 1970s and has since recovered to many thousands through protection and captive breeding.
Which one is more at risk?
Livingstone's fruit bat, which is Critically Endangered, with perhaps around a thousand animals remaining.
Where do Livingstone's fruit bat and the Rodrigues flying fox live?
Livingstone's fruit bat lives only on the Comoro Islands of Anjouan and Moheli, while the Rodrigues flying fox lives only on Rodrigues Island, part of Mauritius.