Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat vs Chuuk Flying Fox

Sturnira koopmanhilli compared with Pteropus pelagicus

Key Differences

• Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat is Data Deficient while Chuuk Flying Fox is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat	Chuuk Flying Fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mamalia)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order same	Chiroptera (Kelelawar)	Chiroptera (Kelelawar)
Family	Phyllostomidae	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Sturnira	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Sturnira koopmanhilli	Pteropus pelagicus

Evolutionary Relationship

Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat and Chuuk Flying Fox share a common ancestor at the Order level: Chiroptera. (Kelelawar)

Conservation Status

Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat

DD — Data Deficient

Chuuk Flying Fox

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat	Chuuk Flying Fox
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador.

Chuuk Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat

The Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat (Sturnira koopmanhilli) is a medium-sized frugivorous bat in the family Phyllostomidae, endemic to the Chocó biogeographic region of northwestern South America, where it occurs in the humid forests of the Pacific slope of Colombia and adjacent Ecuador. It belongs to the genus Sturnira — the yellow-shouldered bats — characterised by males bearing distinctive yellowish, orange, or reddish shoulder glands (from which the group's name derives), robust bodies, and rounded ears. Like all Sturnira, this species is primarily frugivorous, consuming a wide range of small, soft fruits from pioneer and forest trees, and plays an important role as a seed disperser in disturbed forest patches and forest edges. The diet of Solanaceae (nightshade family) fruits is particularly typical of the genus, and Sturnira bats are considered the primary dispersers of many pioneer Solanum species in Neotropical secondary succession, contributing directly to forest regeneration. The IUCN classifies the Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat as Data Deficient, reflecting significant uncertainty about the species' distribution limits, population size, and ecological requirements. The Chocó region continues to experience rapid deforestation, which threatens frugivorous bat diversity even where individual species lack adequate data for formal threat assessment.

Chuuk Flying Fox

The Chuuk flying fox (Pteropus pelagicus) is a large fruit bat in the family Pteropodidae, endemic to Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia, central Pacific Ocean. It occupies forested islands within the lagoon, roosting in large trees and foraging nocturnally on ripe fruits, nectar, and flowers of native tropical vegetation. As one of the few native pollinators and seed dispersers on these small island ecosystems, the Chuuk flying fox plays an essential ecological role in maintaining forest regeneration. The species is classified as Endangered by the IUCN, primarily due to its extremely restricted range—confined to a small island group—and ongoing hunting pressure for bushmeat, which is traditional in parts of Micronesia. Habitat loss from typhoons, agricultural conversion, and human development further threatens its already limited habitat. Pteropus bats across the Pacific have faced severe declines from overhunting, with several island species now extinct. The Chuuk flying fox has a wingspan that can exceed one meter, and roosts colonially in forest canopy trees. International agreements and national legislation within the Federated States of Micronesia provide some protection, but enforcement remains challenging. Population surveys and community-based conservation programs are urgently needed to stabilize this species.