Blackthorn Rust vs Comoro Flying Fox

Tranzschelia pruni-spinosae compared with Pteropus livingstonii

Key Differences

Blackthorn Rust is Not Evaluated while Comoro Flying Fox is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blackthorn Rust	Comoro Flying Fox
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Pucciniales (Pucciniales)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Tranzscheliaceae	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Tranzschelia	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Tranzschelia pruni-spinosae	Pteropus livingstonii

Conservation Status

Blackthorn Rust

NE — Not Evaluated

Comoro Flying Fox

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blackthorn Rust	Comoro Flying Fox
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blackthorn Rust

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (5 countries).

Comoro Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Blackthorn Rust

The Blackthorn Rust (Tranzschelia pruni-spinosae) is a species in the genus Tranzschelia. Found across Asia (Taiwan) and Europe (5 countries).

<em>Pteropus livingstonii</em>, the Comoro flying fox or Livingstone's fruit bat, is a large fruit bat in the family Pteropodidae, endemic to the Comoro Islands in the western Indian Ocean, where it is restricted to Anjouan and Mohéli. It is one of the largest bats in the world, with a wingspan that can exceed one meter and a body weight reportedly ranging between 400–700 g. The species roosts colonially in tall native forest trees, particularly in humid upland forest fragments, and feeds on a variety of native fruits, nectar, and pollen, playing a critical role as a seed disperser and pollinator in Comoran forest ecosystems. Precise average lifespan data in the wild remain poorly documented, though captive individuals have lived over 20 years. <em>Pteropus livingstonii</em> is assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, making it one of the most threatened bat species in the world. Primary threats include extensive deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and charcoal production, which has severely reduced suitable roosting and foraging habitat, along with historic hunting. Conservation efforts include habitat protection, community education programs, and captive breeding initiatives at several European zoos coordinated through an international species survival program.