Details
Pteropus vampyrus
The large flying fox is a big fruit bat of Southeast Asia. It hangs in colonies by day and flies out at night to feed in fruiting and flowering trees.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses Indomalayan forest, coastal woodland, farms, and urban edges. Large trees, mangroves, and island woods can serve as roosts, with long flights to feeding sites.
Wingspan 120-150 cm; weight 600 g-1.1 kg. Long wings, a doglike face, large eyes, and a nearly hidden tail are typical of this flying fox.
Nocturnal and colonial, it rests in noisy daytime roosts. At dusk, groups stream out toward feeding areas.
A herbivore, it eats fruit, nectar, and flowers. It helps disperse seeds and pollinate night-blooming plants.
Females usually bear one pup and nurse it while hanging in the roost. As the young grows, it is left on branches before joining flights with the colony.
It is listed as Endangered. Hunting, roost disturbance, and forest loss make secure colony sites important.
