Meeting Luna: The Samoan Pe’a, Flying Fox

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We were lucky enough to meet a real native Samoan pe’a on our second day in Samoa. Pe’a is the Samoan word for Pteropus samoensis, or the Samoan Flying Fox. Native to Fiji, Sāmoa, and Western Sāmoa. Every morning and evening in Sāmoa you can see these diurnal feeders flying out and back home again, on the hunt. Unlike the insectivorous Hawaiian Hoary Bat, or ʻōpeʻapeʻa (Lasiurus cinereus semotus), Samoan Pe’a is a fruit bat who lives on fruits, flowers, and nectar. The Pe’a is also much more abundant and commonly seen.

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