Presence of Stenoderma rufum beyond the Puerto Rican bank

Until now the red fig-eating bat, Stenoderma rufum, had been known only from the Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. John. The capture of one specimen on St. Croix is noteworthy because this is the first reported capture of this species beyond the Puerto Rican bank. The female captured was post-lactating and pregnant, suggesting this is not an isolated individual, but a breeding population on St. Croix is more likely. St. Croix’s distinct origin and independence from the northern Virgin Islands indicate S. rufum most likely arrived by over water dispersal to St. Croix from adjacent islands (St. Croix is 68 km south of St. John and St. Thomas and 101 km southeast of Puerto Rico). When morphological characters and habitat characteristics are compared between the St. Croix Stenoderma with female S. r. rufum from St. Thomas and St. John and S. r. darioi from Puerto Rico, none clearly align the St. Croix specimen with either subspecies, except pelage color is consistent with S. r. rufum.