Black-bearded flying fox Black-bearded flying fox The black-bearded flying fox ("Pteropus melanopogon") is an endangered species of megabat in the genus "Pteropus". It is endemic to Indonesia, found on the islands of Ambon, Buru, Seram, Banda, and Yamdena. Currently considered monotypic, it formerly included the Aru flying fox and Kei flying fox as subspecies. It was described in 1867 by German naturalist Wilhelm Peters based off an individual in the collection of Hermann Schlegel. Its species name comes from the New Latin melanin, which is derived from Ancient Greek "mélas", meaning "black", and Ancient Greek pṓgōn, meaning "beard". As the genus "Pteropus" is
Grey-headed flying fox and pollens of around 187 plant species. These include "Eucalyptus", particularly "Eucalyptus gummifera", "Eucalyptus muellerana", "Eucalyptus globoidea" and "Eucalyptus botryoides", and fruits from a wide range of rainforest trees, including members of the genus "Ficus". These bats are considered sequential specialists, since they feed on a variety of foods. Grey-headed flying foxes, along with the three other Australian flying fox species, fulfill a very important ecological role by dispersing the pollen and seeds of a wide range of native Australian plants. The grey-headed flying fox is the only mammalian nectarivore and frugivore to occupy substantial areas of subtropical rainforests, so