Japanese Cherry vs Ontong Java Flying Fox

Prunus serrulata compared with Pteropus howensis

Key Differences

• Japanese Cherry is Not Evaluated while Ontong Java Flying Fox is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Japanese Cherry	Ontong Java Flying Fox
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rosales (Roses & Allies)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Rosaceae (Rose Family)	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Prunus (Cherries & Plums)	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Prunus serrulata	Pteropus howensis

Conservation Status

Japanese Cherry

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

Ontong Java Flying Fox

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Japanese Cherry	Ontong Java Flying Fox
Diet	Autotroph	—
Average Lifespan	40 years	—
Average Length	10.0 m	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Japanese Cherry

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (7 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Brazil).

Ontong Java Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Japanese Cherry

The quintessential symbol of spring in Japan, Japanese cherry trees produce transient clouds of white and pink blossom each spring — a cultural event called hanami (flower viewing) celebrated for centuries. Reaching up to 25 meters, they were domesticated from wild Prunus species over a millennium of selective cultivation, producing primarily sterile ornamental varieties that propagate by grafting. Over 200 cultivars are recognized, with Somei Yoshino accounting for the majority of Japan's famous cherry avenues.