Christmas Island Flying-fox
Pteropus natalis
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Critically Endangered
Listed since: 31/10/2015
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Not Listed
Listed since: 0/01/1900
Population trend: 0
Other names: Christmas Island Fruit-bat
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The Christmas Island Flying-fox is a relatively small bat that is active at night, but also during part of the day. Christmas Island Flying-foxes have tight coloniality and synchronised breeding, with all breeding
females and their dependent young localised in a few small areas during part of the year. They eat a wide range of fruit and nectar from native and introduced plant species.
Threats
Threats to the Christmas Island Flying-fox is habitat loss from phosphate mining and their tight coloniality and synchronised breeding may render the sub-species vulnerable, with all breeding females and their dependent young localised in a few small areas during part of the year. Other flying-foxes are known to suffer massive synchronised losses of foetuses or recently-born young under some conditions of stress, unusual food shortages or heat spells