Systematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon IslandsPhillips, Carleton J.
Science
Systematics of Megachiropteran Bats in the Solomon Islands
Phillips, Carleton J.
Bats -- Solomon Islands
1914. _Pteropus tonganus geddiei_, Revilliod, _in_ Sarasin and
Roux, Nova Caledonia (A), 1:341; 1954, Laurie and Hill, List
of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands,
p. 34, June 30.
_Specimens examined._--None.
_Remarks._--_Pteropus tonganus geddiei_, as far as is known, is the
widest ranging subspecies of this genus. It is the only megachiropteran
in the Solomon Islands having affinities with bats to the southeast (the
New Hebrides, Santa Cruz Islands, Samoan Islands and Fiji Islands)
rather than with those to the west (New Guinea). The subspecies _P.
tonganus geddiei_, which ranges from the Solomons to the New Hebrides
(about 500 miles straight-line distance), is said to be remarkably
uniform throughout its range. Sanborn (1931:14) compared color and size
in specimens from the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides and found
little variation. Another subspecies, _P. t. bascilicus_ Thomas 1915,
apparently closely related to _geddiei_, is known from Dampier [=
Kar-kar] Island off the northeastern coast of New Guinea and therefore
farther westward from the New Hebrides than are the Solomon Islands.
Additional remarks on the distribution of this species are in the
section on Zoogeography and Speciation.
=Pteropus rayneri=
_Pteropus rayneri_ is endemic to the Solomon Islands. It is divisible
into seven subspecies (see Fig. 6), which, excepting _P. r. rennelli_
and _P. r. cognatus_, are strikingly colored--the mantle, back, and rump
being of different colors. Differences in color and size provide
characters differentiating the subspecies (see key, p. 793). Recorded
lengths of forearms do not overlap between any two subspecies. _P. r.
grandis_, northernmost in distribution, has the longest (about 170)
forearm and _P. r. cognatus_, known from two of the southernmost
islands, has the shortest (about 121).
[Illustration: FIG. 6. Distribution of _Pteropus rayneri_: _P. r.
rayneri_ ([RTW]); _P. r. grandis_ ([RW]); _P. r. lavellanus_ ([BC]);
_P. r. monoensis_ ([BW]); _P. r. rubianus_ ([TW]); _P. r. cognatus_
([LW]); _P. r. rennelli_ ([LTW]). For names of islands see Fig. 2.]
Adult males of _Pteropus rayneri_ have well-developed tufts of hair on
each side of the neck where a gland is located (see Andersen,
1912:259). Apparently these glands are not present in females as none
were found in specimens studied by me or those reported by Sanborn
(1931:16). Evidently, these glands are associated with sexual maturity
in males because neither Sanborn nor I found them in subadult males.
=Pteropus rayneri rayneri= Gray
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