São Tomé collared fruit bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids São Tomé collared fruit bat |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Myonycteris
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| Species: |
brachycephala
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| São Tomé collared fruit bat range | |
The São Tomé collared fruit bat (Myonycteris brachycephala) is a special kind of megabat. It belongs to the Pteropodidae family. This bat lives only on the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. You can find it in warm, wet forests, both in lowlands and on mountains. Sadly, its home is shrinking because of habitat destruction. What makes this bat super unique? It's the only mammal known where every single bat has an uneven number of teeth! This is called an asymmetrical dental formula.
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What Makes This Bat Special?
This bat is famous for its teeth! Every São Tomé collared fruit bat has an uneven set of teeth. They are missing one of their lower front teeth (called an incisor). Scientists think this missing tooth is a neutral mutation. This means it doesn't help or hurt the bat's ability to survive.
The Founder Effect
How did all the bats end up with this missing tooth? One idea is the founder effect. Imagine a small group of bats started a new population. If some of those first bats had this missing tooth, their babies would also have it. Over time, this trait could spread to the whole group.
Where Does This Bat Live?
The São Tomé collared fruit bat lives only on the higher parts of São Tomé Island. This island is a volcanic island found in the Gulf of Guinea. Scientists have never found large groups of these bats. They have only seen individual bats in three different places.
Bat Habitats
These bats live at different heights above the sea. They have been found from about 980 feet (300 meters) up to 4,265 feet (1,300 meters). Their favorite homes are wet tropical mountain forests. They also live in moist forests with parts of the original forest still left. Sometimes, they are seen in cocoa farms. However, they tend to stay away from the coast and the drier northern part of the island.
Is This Bat in Danger?
Yes, the São Tomé collared fruit bat is in danger. It lives in a very small area. The total space where it lives is less than 290 square miles (750 square kilometers). The forests on the island are getting smaller and poorer in quality. This happens because trees are cut down. Also, land is being cleared for farming.
Conservation Status
Recent searches for these bats have not found many. It seems to be a naturally rare species. Because of these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this bat as "endangered". This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
