Head to head
Mauritian Flying Fox vs Rodrigues Flying Fox
Mauritian Flying Fox
VS Rodrigues Flying Fox
The Mauritian flying fox and Rodrigues flying fox are the two flying foxes of the Mauritius islands, both Endangered seed-spreading fruit bats, but their recent histories have gone in opposite directions.
| Mauritian Flying Fox | Rodrigues Flying Fox | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pteropus niger | Pteropus rodricensis |
| Home | The island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean | Rodrigues Island, part of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean |
| Diet | Fruit, flowers, and leaves, including native forest trees | Fruit, flowers, and leaves |
| Ecological role | Carries fruit away and drops the seeds, helping to regrow native forest | Spreads seeds and pollinates flowers, helping the surviving native forest |
| Human story | Culled in the 2010s because of complaints about damage to commercial fruit | Recovered through protection of the bats and captive breeding |
| Cyclones | Vulnerable to cyclones, which strip trees and food from the island | Hit hard by cyclones, which strip fruit and trees from the small island |
| Population trend | Declined sharply and continues to fall | Recovered from fewer than a hundred in the 1970s to many thousands |
| Conservation status | Endangered, with a decreasing population | Endangered, with an increasing population |
Mauritian Flying Fox vs Rodrigues Flying Fox: common questions
Which flying fox has been culled?
The Mauritian flying fox, which has been culled in the 2010s because of complaints about damage to commercial fruit.
Which flying fox has recovered?
The Rodrigues flying fox, which recovered from fewer than a hundred animals in the 1970s to many thousands.
Where do the Mauritian and Rodrigues flying foxes live?
The Mauritian flying fox lives on the island of Mauritius, while the Rodrigues flying fox lives only on Rodrigues Island, part of Mauritius.