Guam flying fox

Behaviour

Little is known about the behaviour of this flying fox, but it is likely that it fed on the fruits, flowers, and foliage of evergreen shrubs and trees that are characteristic of the limestone forests found in the northern part of Guam. Similarly, not much is known about its reproductive habits, but an incident in 1968, where a female was shot, revealed that she was accompanied by an immature individual. This suggests the possibility of ongoing parental care.

Status

There are no confirmed records of sightings of this bat since the 1970s and the IUCN lists it as being "Extinct". The guam flying fox was last seen in 1967 and it was declared extinct in the wild in 1976. The guam flying fox was declared extinct by the IUCN Red List in 2004. When it was more plentiful, it was hunted by humans for food, which may have contributed to its extinction. Another factor may have been the introduction, into the island, of the predatory brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis). In September 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed declaring the species extinct, and it was delisted effective November 2023 in accordance with the Endangered Species Act.