NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Egyptian Rousette
Rousettus aegyptiacus (E. Geoffroy, 1810)
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 Egyptian fruit bat or Egyptian rousette (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is a species of megabat that occurs in Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Indian subcontinent. It is one of three species of Rousettus with an African-Malagasy range, though the only species of its genus found in continental Africa. The common ancestor of the three species colonised the region in the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene. The species is traditionally divided into six subspecies. It is considered a medium-sized megabat, with adults weighing 80–170 g (2.8–6.0 oz) and having a wingspan of approximately 60 cm (24 in). Individuals are dark brown or greyish brown, with their undersides paler than their backs. The Egyptian fruit bat is a highly social species, usually living in colonies with thousands of other bats. It, along with other members of the genus Rousettus, are some of the only fruit bats to use echolocation, though a more primitive version than used by bats in other families. It has also developed a socially-complex vocal system to communicate with conspecifics.
Wikipedia contributors, Egyptian fruit bat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:02:31.109286+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Rousettus aegyptiacus (E. Geoffroy, 1810)
- Name authority
- (E. Geoffroy, 1810)
- Common name
- Egyptian Rousette
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Chiroptera
- Family
- Pteropodidae
- Genus
- Rousettus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
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
- subfamilyRousettinae Andersen, 1912
- tribeRousettini Andersen, 1912
- genusRousettus Gray, 1821
- speciesRousettus aegyptiacus (E. Geoffroy, 1810)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Rousettus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Sulawesi RousetteRousettus celebensis K. Andersen, 1907 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Madagascan RousetteRousettus madagascariensis G. Grandidier, 1928 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Comoro RousetteRousettus obliviosus Kock, 1978 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bare-backed RousetteRousettus spinalatus Bergmans & Hill, 1980 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Geoffroy's RousetteRousettus amplexicaudatus (E. Geoffroy, 1810) | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Linduan RousetteRousettus linduensis Maryanto & Yani, 2003 | PteropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Rousettus egyptiacus (E. Geoffroy, 1810) (E. Geoffroy, 1810) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China)
Southern Asia
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.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=632267 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:4THCH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.