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
Pemba flying fox remaining. Conservation measures implemented by the Forestry Department on Pemba include an education campaign, the establishment of wildlife clubs to protect nearby roosts, and continuous monitoring of the population. Also, the hunting of these bats with shotguns is now banned on most of the island. The local population has been involved in conservation measures and bat-based ecotourism is producing extra revenue for the island. With these measures in place, the number of bats has increased and by 2007 there were estimated to be about 20,000. Pemba flying fox The Pemba flying fox ("Pteropus voeltzkowi") is a species of flying fox