Black-eared flying fox vs Mexican Violetear

Pteropus melanotus compared with Colibri thalassinus

Key Differences

  • Black-eared flying fox is Vulnerable while Mexican Violetear is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Black-eared flying fox Mexican Violetear
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same Chordata (Chordates) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Mammalia (Mammals) Aves (Birds)
Order Chiroptera (Bats) Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats) Trochilidae
Genus Pteropus (Flying Foxes) Colibri
Species Pteropus melanotus Colibri thalassinus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-eared flying fox and Mexican Violetear share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Black-eared flying fox

VU — Vulnerable

Mexican Violetear

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Black-eared flying fox Mexican Violetear
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-eared flying fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Mexican Violetear

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, United States, and 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.

Mexican Violetear

A medium-sized, predominantly green hummingbird with a distinctive iridescent violet-blue ear patch and chest stripe, Mexican violetears inhabit highland and montane forests from Mexico south through Central America at elevations of 1,000–3,000 meters. Males are aggressive, highly vocal territory defenders and perform showy flight displays. They breed at high altitudes but some populations make seasonal altitudinal migrations. Among the most common hummingbirds in Mexican highland pine-oak and cloud forest habitats.

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