About Eidolon dupreanum (Pollen, 1866)
The Madagascan fruit bat, scientifically known as Eidolon dupreanum, is a bat species belonging to the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this species as Vulnerable, due to it being hunted for bushmeat. This species is named for Marie Jules Dupré, who served as Governor of Réunion from 1864 to 1869, in recognition of the assistance he provided to scientific researchers. The Madagascan fruit bat occurs both across the coastal plain and on the inland high plateau of Madagascar. It has not been recorded in some parts of the island, but this is most likely because it has not been observed in these areas, rather than because the species is actually absent from them. During the day, this bat requires appropriate rock fissures and caves to roost. Colonies of this species vary in size, ranging from roughly 10 to 500 individual bats.
