Samoa flying fox a luxury food item, but a stop was put to that trade when it was listed in Appendix I of CITES in 1990. This made it illegal to export it, and hunting since then has been on a smaller scale and only for domestic use. It is present in some national parks and other protected areas which gives it some measure of protection. The Samoan word for the flying fox fruit bat, "pe'a", is also the name of the traditional Samoan male tattoo. In Samoan and Polynesian mythologies, stories, myths, proverbs, and legends are associated with this winged creature. One
Ryukyu flying fox name ""dasymallus"" is likely ; Temminck described its fur as long and woolly. The five subspecies are: The subspecies are based on populations that occur on different islands. The Ryukyu flying fox is slightly smaller than the Indian flying fox, with a wingspan of . It weighs . Its forearm is approximately long. The body of the bat is covered in long hairs, making the body seem almost woolly. The bat is reddish brown and has a yellowish white nape. Its ears are small and pointed, and are difficult to see beneath its thick fur. Its flight membranes are dark