Black-eared flying fox vs common bottlenose dolphin

Pteropus melanotus compared with Tursiops truncatus

Key Differences

• Black-eared flying fox is Vulnerable while common bottlenose dolphin is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-eared flying fox	common bottlenose dolphin
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)	Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)
Genus	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)	Tursiops (Bottlenose Dolphins)
Species	Pteropus melanotus	Tursiops truncatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-eared flying fox and common bottlenose dolphin share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Black-eared flying fox

VU — Vulnerable

common bottlenose dolphin

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~600.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-eared flying fox	common bottlenose dolphin
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	45 years
Average Length	—	3.0 m
Average Weight	—	300.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-eared flying fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

common bottlenose dolphin

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 12 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Black-eared flying fox

The Black-eared flying fox (Pteropus melanotus) is a species in the genus Pteropus. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

common bottlenose dolphin

The most studied and recognized dolphin species, bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and temperate oceans worldwide, from coastal shallows to the open sea. Highly intelligent with large brains relative to body size, they demonstrate self-recognition, complex communication, and social learning. They live in fluid fission-fusion societies and cooperate to herd fish. A keystone indicator species for marine ecosystem health.