Neopteryx frosti Hayman 1946

129. Small-toothed Fruit Bat Neopteryx frosti French: Roussette de Frost / German: Kleinzahnflughund / Spanish: Nedptero de Frost Taxonomy. Neopteryx frosti Hayman, 1946, “Tamalanti, West Celebes [= Sulawesi, Indonesia], 3300 ft. [= 1006 m].” Neopteryx is sister taxon to typical Pteropus and Acerodon. Monotypic. Distribution. Only known from two localities in C & NE Sulawesi (Talamanti and Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park). Descriptive notes. Head-body c. 155 mm (tailless), ear 18- 6—20 mm, hindfoot with claws 30-5-33- 3 mm, forearm 104- 9- 111 mm; weight 190-250 g. Males have shorter forearms than females but larger skull dimensions. Sepia-brown muzzle is crossed by three cream-white stripes: one stripe runs from tip of muzzle to forehead and other two along outside of muzzle to just behind end of eyes. Long woolly hair is present on upperparts of body, especially on back of mantle; individual hairs on mantle are brownish white dorsally and brownish only at tips, thereby giving clear demarcation from darker hairs on lower parts of back. Underparts of body have uniformly brown short fur, somewhat lighter at most at hair bases. Ventrally, collar area with its uniformly light brown hair is not as clearly separated. Thumb has well-developed claw; index claw is absent. Wing membrane begins at back near medial line and below between base offirst and second toe. Wing membranes are light to medium brown, with network pattern of blackish brown lines and spots. Rostrum is elongated and sharply tapering. Rami of mandible are thin. Posterior palatine foramina are large. Dental formulais12/2,C1/1,P 2/3, M 2/3 (x2) = 32. I! is slightly larger than I*. C! has narrow posterior basal shelf. Premolars and molars are small and simplified, with smooth and rounded crowns. P! is absent, and P? is higher but shorter than P*, M!, and M2. Habitat. Primary forests from lowlands to montane areas at elevations of 225-1006 m. Food and Feeding. Narrowing ofpalate in front section, combined with tongue papillae and weakening ofteeth, suggest that the Small-toothed Fruit Bat eats rather soft fruit and flower products. Breeding. One Small-toothed Fruit Bat was pregnant with one embryo in March. Two other females bought at the market of Imandi were also pregnant in January and May. Embryos were 21-48- 5 mm. Male specimens have external penis of c. 12 mm length. Longevity is c.6 years. Activity patterns. The Small-toothed Fruit Bat is probably crepuscular or nocturnal. It presumably flies high in upper parts oftreetops. Two specimens were caught with mist nets high above the Sungei Tumpah River. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Despite intensive searches, only seven Small-toothed Fruit Bats have been described from two regions far away from each other. Captures have been limited to primary forests, which in Sulawesi are declining due to deforestation and spread of agriculture. Hunting for bushmeatis a threat, and hunters report thatit is becoming increasingly rare. Additional research and conservation programs are urgently needed. Bibliography. Almeida et al. (2014), Bergmans (2001), Bergmans & Rozendaal (1988), Hayman (1946), Nowak (1999), Pacifici et al. (2013), Tsang (20164).Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, pp. 16-162 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 133-134, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.644881