Is the Rodrigues flying fox endangered?

Yes. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (2017), though its population trend was assessed as increasing.

What does a Rodrigues flying fox eat?

Fruit, including tamarinds, rose-apples, mangoes, palms, and figs, squeezing out the juice and soft pulp.

Where do Rodrigues flying foxes live in the wild?

Only on Rodrigues, an Indian Ocean island belonging to Mauritius, in tropical lowland forest.

Which U.S. zoos have Rodrigues flying foxes?

6 U.S. zoos list Rodrigues flying foxes, including the San Diego Zoo, the Oregon Zoo, and the Philadelphia Zoo.

Rodrigues Flying Fox

Pteropus rodricensis

Also known as Rodrigues Fruit Bat

mammals6 U.S. zoosEndangered

Where to see one: 6 U.S. zoos in our directory hold rodrigues flying fox, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Native range: Rodrigues, an island in the Indian Ocean belonging to Mauritius
Size: Up to 350 g (12 oz), with a 90 cm (35 in) wingspan

Conservation status

Endangeredassessed 2017

Least concernExtinct

IUCN Red List category EN — step 4 of 7.

Endangered (EN), assessed in 2017; population increasing

About the Rodrigues flying fox

The Rodrigues flying fox, also called the Rodrigues fruit bat, is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae, the flying foxes and fruit bats. It is endemic to Rodrigues, a small island in the Indian Ocean that belongs to Mauritius, and its only natural habitat is that island's tropical lowland forest. It can weigh up to 350 grams (12 ounces) and has a wingspan of about 90 centimeters (35 inches).

The species is highly sociable, roosting in large groups by day — historically, daytime roosts, or "camps," often held more than 500 individuals — and feeding at night.

Behavior and diet

Diet

Fruit, including tamarinds, rose-apples, mangoes, palms, and figs

Rodrigues flying foxes forage at night in dry woodland, feeding on fruit from trees such as tamarinds, rose-apples, mangoes, palms, and figs. Like many fruit bats, they squeeze the juice and soft pulp from fruit and rarely swallow the harder parts.

Observations of captive animals show a harem-based mating structure: each dominant male gathers a harem of up to ten females for roosting and mating, while subordinate and immature males roost separately in another part of the colony.

Range and habitat

Habitat

Tropical lowland forest

The Rodrigues flying fox is found only on the island of Rodrigues, part of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, where it lives in tropical lowland forest. Daytime roosting camps have historically held more than 500 bats.

Conservation status

The Rodrigues flying fox is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, in a 2017 assessment. It is threatened by habitat loss from storm damage and human activity, along with local hunting for food, and the total population is estimated at around 20,000 individuals. Due to its imperiled status, the Alliance for Zero Extinction has identified it as a species in danger of imminent extinction, and Bat Conservation International included it on its 2013 worldwide priority conservation list.

Conservation efforts have made real progress. The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has run a successful captive breeding program, establishing colonies in zoos around the world, and by 2017 the IUCN had determined that the species' population trend was increasing — a sign that conservation efforts may be paying off.

Where to see rodrigues flying fox in the U.S.

6 zoos across 6 states

Find the closest one

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Built from each zoo's own published animal list.