Rare bat spotted in Masungi Georeserve

A rare mottle-winged flying fox, one of the largest bats in the world, was spotted within the Masungi Georeserve conservation area in Rizal.

The conservation area’s management confirmed the sighting of the bat, which is endemic to the Luzon island.

“First in the Rizal province! Our research expedition’s Project Lead Mariah Dichoso and Mammals Expert Joel Sarmiento were able to record the Mottle-winged Flying Fox (Desmalopex leucopterus) in Masungi,” they wrote on their Facebook page.

“The Luzon-endemic Mottle-winged Flying Fox belongs to a genus of bats that can only be seen in the Philippines, and are among the largest bats in the world. It usually resides in mountainous and forested regions,” Masungi Georeserve added.

The bat has medium to pale brown wings with white blotches on the edge of the wing and around its wingtip. Its named for its fox-like appearance.

The mottle-winged flying fox has been classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a vulnerable species.