back to article Huge 'vampyrus' bats being hunted to extinction

Scientists say that the world's largest bat, the six-foot Pteropus vampyrus, is threatened with extinction at the hands of bat hunters across the Far East. They have called for fewer bat-hunting permits to be issued by local governments. Despite the name, P vampyrus is not a blood-drinking bat like some South American species …

COMMENTS

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  1. Jo 5

    pedantophile warning

    as much as i love el reg as a bastion of journalistic integrity, I hardly think that "medium of batshit" is the true zoological term...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    6ft........

    "the six-foot Pteropus vampyrus"

    Thats Six-Foot Wing-Span not height for those of us ready you welcome our Gaint flying overlords.

    *\. All Your Fruit Are Belong To Us!

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Never mind the content...

    Lewis' titles are always entertaining.

  4. Goatan
    Pint

    re: pedantophile warning

    "medium of batshit"

    I believe the zoological term is "guano"

    Special thanks to Ace Ventura

  5. Karl Lattimer

    @ooFie

    The largest one on record was apparently 14foot 9inch wing span, the beast that flew from that would probably have been around 6foot tall, and it did fly.

    /me thanks his childhood bat encyclopaedia for this information, wikipedia had nothing on that! Although the book was written in 1927 so there may have been a larger one found since.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Vampyrus

    Is an excellent name for a horror movie featuring a giant man-eating predator - preferably starring the talented thespasian next to this post.

  7. The Indomitable Gall

    Oh my God, they killed Kevin! you b@st@rds

    Come on, I can't be the only one who was thinking about the Fruit pastilles adverts....

  8. Paul 4
    FAIL

    @Jo 5

    That’s not pedantry, that’s being humourless.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    The sad part

    Is that as long as one idiot thinks its going to cure asthma, grow a longer wang, or any other stupid thing; they're going to be out killing these critters regardless of hunting license or not.

  10. Mark Spooner

    Organize!

    Time to train the bats to defend themselves I say!

  11. J 3
    Dead Vulture

    Permits?

    Yeah, change the amount of permits. As if it made a difference. Most kills are probably illegal already anyway, if other "endangered species" situations are any indication. Changing the amount of permits would simply make the number of illegal kills that much bigger...

    [revolted after reading an article on bluefin tuna and learning that the Japanese don't give a shit that they are voraciously eating that incredible fish to extinction]

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Taxonomists take note

    Isn't it time scientists assessed the extinction potential of various species and named them accordingly?

    For example, I wouldn't care if the last "Pteropus vampyrus" was roasted to death on a Malaysian BBQ. Sounds horrid to me. For all I know, it probably looks horrid too. And don't even start with the "we may be able to extract vital anti-cancer drugs from it" line... Been there, got the T shirt - no-one I know with cancer has ever been cured by one.

    Much simpler to just rename it Fluffyus cutiarse, or Worthius preservius, or something of that nature. If I understand the idiom correctly, you don't actually have to use Latin or Greek names, just stick a pseudo-Latin or -Greek ending on and the job's done.

    How hard can it be? Maybe the taxonomists should employ some media studies graduates.

  13. Planeten Paultje
    Unhappy

    Yeah....

    > and that all the countries where they live should cooperate

    Like that will ever happen.

  14. Neoc
    Stop

    Re: re: pedantophile warning

    @Goatan 13:47 : 'II believe the zoological term is "guano". Special thanks to Ace Ventura'

    Actually, the product "Guano" includes both the faeces *and urine* of bats and sea-birds... so technically the article (speaking only of the faeces -end of the product) is not referring to Guano.

  15. Graham Lockley

    Only on El Reg

    Can I be educated about the exact compostion of Guano.

    Whatever, pass me the Reggae Reggae sauce someone, this wing needs a bit of spice <JOKE>

  16. Shaun Hunter
    FAIL

    I wanted to see a picture of one.

    come on guys

  17. Sweep

    Those aren’t big birds, sweetheart.

    They’re giant vampire bats!

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