Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat vs Comoro Flying Fox

Glossophaga commissarisi compared with Pteropus livingstonii

Key Differences

• Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat is Least Concern while Comoro Flying Fox is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat	Comoro Flying Fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class same	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Mammalia (Säugetiere)
Order same	Chiroptera (Fledertiere)	Chiroptera (Fledertiere)
Family	Phyllostomidae	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Glossophaga	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Glossophaga commissarisi	Pteropus livingstonii

Evolutionary Relationship

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat and Comoro Flying Fox share a common ancestor at the Order level: Chiroptera. (Fledertiere)

Conservation Status

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

LC — Least Concern

Comoro Flying Fox

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat	Comoro Flying Fox
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador.

Comoro Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

<em>Glossophaga commissarisi</em>, commonly known as Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat, is a small nectarivorous bat in the family Phyllostomidae. This species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is native to the Neotropical region, with populations recorded in Colombia and Ecuador, among other countries in Central and South America. As its name suggests, Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat is highly specialized for nectar feeding, possessing an elongated tongue and snout adapted for reaching deep into flowers. In doing so, it serves as an important pollinator for a variety of tropical plants, particularly those with tubular flowers that bloom at night. This bat typically inhabits tropical and subtropical forests, including humid lowland and montane forests, where flowering plants are abundant throughout the year. It often roosts in small groups within caves, hollow trees, or dense foliage. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Comoro Flying Fox

<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.