Alpine Bladder-fern vs Chuuk Flying Fox

Cystopteris alpina compared with Pteropus pelagicus

Key Differences

Alpine Bladder-fern is Near Threatened while Chuuk Flying Fox is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine Bladder-fern	Chuuk Flying Fox
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Cystopteridaceae	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Cystopteris	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Cystopteris alpina	Pteropus pelagicus

Conservation Status

Alpine Bladder-fern

NT — Near Threatened

Chuuk Flying Fox

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine Bladder-fern	Chuuk Flying Fox
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine Bladder-fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Chuuk Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Alpine Bladder-fern

The Alpine Bladder-fern (Cystopteris alpina) is a species in the genus Cystopteris. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies. Distributed across Norway and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Chuuk Flying Fox

The Chuuk flying fox (Pteropus pelagicus) is a large fruit bat in the family Pteropodidae, endemic to Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia, central Pacific Ocean. It occupies forested islands within the lagoon, roosting in large trees and foraging nocturnally on ripe fruits, nectar, and flowers of native tropical vegetation. As one of the few native pollinators and seed dispersers on these small island ecosystems, the Chuuk flying fox plays an essential ecological role in maintaining forest regeneration. The species is classified as Endangered by the IUCN, primarily due to its extremely restricted range—confined to a small island group—and ongoing hunting pressure for bushmeat, which is traditional in parts of Micronesia. Habitat loss from typhoons, agricultural conversion, and human development further threatens its already limited habitat. Pteropus bats across the Pacific have faced severe declines from overhunting, with several island species now extinct. The Chuuk flying fox has a wingspan that can exceed one meter, and roosts colonially in forest canopy trees. International agreements and national legislation within the Federated States of Micronesia provide some protection, but enforcement remains challenging. Population surveys and community-based conservation programs are urgently needed to stabilize this species.