The Peka, or Fruit Bat (Pteropus tonganus tonganus) (Mammalia, Chiroptera), of Niue Island, South Pacific

Abstract

The identification of the peka, or fruit bat, of the genus Pteropus from Niue (= Savage) Island (190 S, 1690 W, 480 km east of Tonga, 500 km southeast of Samoa and about 1,040 km west of the Southern Cook Islands), South Pacific, by Gunther (1874) as Pteropus tonganus Quoy & Gaimard, 1830, is confirmed. Upon comparing the peka, the only fruit bat on Niue, with the other Pteropus species present on the nearest islands of Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, and Uvea, we concluded that the differences between Pteropus samoensis and P. nawaiensis are insignificant and that the latter is a subspecies of P. samoensis. The present distribution, numbers, roosting and feeding habits, and present status of Pteropus tonganus on Niue Island are described.