Mauritian flying fox Mauritian flying fox The Mauritian flying fox ("Pteropus niger"), also known as Greater Mascarene flying fox or Mauritius fruit bat is a large megabat species endemic to Mauritius and La Réunion. The Mauritian flying fox can reach a wingspan of 80 cm, thus being the largest endemic mammal on Mauritius. Its fur is golden. It has small ears, thick hair on the tibiae, dorsal coloration of glossy, blackish brown mantle, tinged with rufous, which extends posteriorly into a dark brown median spinal tract, flanked by buff lateral patches. It is a medium-sized species; the adult forearm length averages 152 mm,
Indian flying fox canine is pronounced, and the molars have a longitudinal furrow. As of 1999, it is the longest-lived member of its genus; one individual lived for 31 years and 5 months in captivity. It was described as a new species in 1782 by Danish zoologist Morten Thrane Brünnich, who gave it the scientific name "Vespertilio gigantea." Linnaeus previously classified the species as "Pteropus vampyrus". Its species name ""giganteus"" is of Latin origin, meaning "giant." In 2012, Mlíkovský argued that the correct scientific name of the Indian flying fox should be "Pteropus medius" rather than "P. giganteus". He asserted that Brünnich coined