The decline of fruit bats in American Samoa due to hurricanes and over-hunting
Craig P, Trail PW, Morrell TE. 1994. The decline of fruit bats in American Samoa due to hurricanes and over-hunting. Biological Conservation. 69:261-266
Both roost counts and daytime surveys were used during 1986-1992 and reveal a major population decline of the two fruit bat species in American Samoa Pteropus samoensis and P. tonganus due to hurricane losses and subsequent overhunting by villagers. Current estimates are that only 200-400 P. samoensis and 1500-2500 P. tonganus remain on Tutuila Island, which formerly supported the largest bat populations in the Territory. A three-year hunting ban was enacted in 1992, but modeling projections indicate that a much longer recovery period will be required.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Craig, Peter; Trail, Pepper; Morrell, Tom
- Units
- NPSA , PACN
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Abundance (Biodiversity), American Samoa, Animal Studies, Distribution (Biodiversity), Hunting, Hurricanes, Pacific Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae), Presence (Biodiversity), Pteropus Samoensis, Pteropus tonganus, Taxa List Only