ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF THE RYUKYU FRUIT BAT
A large part of our work has been focused on uncovering the ecology of Pteropus dasymallus, a fruit bat endemic to the Ryukyu archipelago (Okinawa region) in Japan. We have undertaken studies on various aspects of its ecology and were the first to unveil the long-lasting ongoing conflicts with local agriculture. This, along with other threat factors that were unaccounted for in the literature, has been taking a toll on populations of this cute paleotropical bat.
This work made the cover of the journal Mammal Biology and led the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to request a reassessment of Japanese fruit bats by the Island Bat Research Group.
​
Vincenot C.E., Collazo A.M., Russo D. The Ryukyu Flying Fox (Pteropus dasymallus) - A Review of Conservation Threats and Call for Reassessment. Mammalian Biology, Volume 83, Issue 4, Pages 71–77, March 2017.
Vincenot, C. 2017. Pteropus dasymallus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T18722A22080614.
​
Electronic copies of academic papers mentioned here can be provided upon request.
Study kindly supported by:
