NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Small Samoan Flying Fox
Pteropus allenorum Helgen, Helgen & Wilson, 2009
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The small Samoan flying fox (Pteropus allenorum) is a species of fruit-eating megabat whose type specimen was originally collected in Samoa in 1856, but was not identified as a new species until 2009. Its wingspan was at least two feet, and it weighed around 8 oz. As the type specimen is dead, and no other examples of the species are known, it is believed to be extinct.
It is known from only a single specimen collected in 1856 on the island of Upolu in Samoa. The species is believed to have gone extinct during the 19th century due to a combination of overhunting by humans and habitat destruction from agriculture.
Wikipedia contributors, Small Samoan flying fox; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:34:01.376382+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Pteropus allenorum Helgen, Helgen & Wilson, 2009
- Name authority
- Helgen, Helgen & Wilson, 2009
- Common name
- Small Samoan Flying Fox
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Chiroptera
- Family
- Pteropodidae
- Genus
- Pteropus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extinct
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderChiroptera Blumenbach, 1779
- suborderYinpterochiroptera Springer, Teeling, Madsen, Stanhope & Jong, 2001
- familyPteropodidae Gray, 1821
- subfamilyPteropodinae Gray, 1821
- tribePteropodini Gray, 1821
- genusPteropus Brisson, 1762
- speciesPteropus allenorum Helgen, Helgen & Wilson, 2009
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Pteropus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Admiralty Flying FoxPteropus admiralitatum Thomas, 1894 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Aldabra Flying FoxPteropus aldabrensis True, 1893 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| North Moluccan Flying FoxPteropus caniceps Gray, 1870 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bismark Masked Flying FoxPteropus capistratus Peters, 1876 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Moluccan Flying FoxPteropus chrysoproctus Temminck, 1837 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Makira Flying FoxPteropus cognatus K. Andersen, 1908 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Spectacled Flying FoxPteropus conspicillatus Gould, 1850 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Large Samoan Flying FoxPteropus coxi Helgen, Helgen & Wilson, 2009 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| Gilliard's Flying FoxPteropus gilliardorum Van Deusen, 1969 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ontong Java Flying FoxPteropus howensis Troughton, 1931 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Island Flying FoxPteropus hypomelanus Temminck, 1853 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Kai Flying FoxPteropus keyensis Peters, 1867 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Helgen, Kristofer M., Lauren E. Helgen, and Don E. Wilson. (2009). Pacific Flying Foxes (Mammalia: Chiroptera): two new species of Pteropus from Samoa, probably extinct. American Museum Novitates, No. 3646. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4Q2Y2. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.