WORLD’S BIGGEST BATS — LARGE, INDIAN, GIANT GOLDEN-CROWNED AND GREAT FLYING FOXES

LARGEST FLYING FOXES

large flying fox

Flying foxes are the world’s largest bats. They are distinguished from other kinds of bats in that, for the most part, they use their eyes not echolocation to locate objects. Flying foxes get their names from their foxy faces. Flying foxes are also called fruit bats and belong to the groupings of Old World Bat and Megabats, of which there are almost 200 species scattered across southern Asia, and the islands off southeast Africa and the South Pacific, in the family Pteropodidae.

One candidate for the world's largest bat is the large flying fox. According to some sources it has the longest forearm length and reported wingspan of any bat species. Its wingspan is up to 1.5 meters (4 feet 11 inches), and it can weigh up to 1.1 kilogram (2½ pounds). Some bat species exceed it in weight. The Indian and great flying foxes are heavier, with both described as weighing up to 1.6 kilograms. Most flying fox species are considerably smaller and generally weigh less than 600 grams (21 ounces). [Source: Wikipedia +]

Another candidate for the world's largest bat is the giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), also known as the golden-capped fruit bat. A species of megabat endemic to the Philippines, it weighs up to 1.4 kilograms (3.1 pounds) and has the longest documented forearm length of any bat species at 21 centimeters (8.3 inches). Its wingspan is estimated to be 1.5–1.7 meters (4.9–5.6 feet). The great flying fox has a slightly shorter forearm length, and its wingspan is thus presumed to be lesser as well. +

The "vampyrus" group, which also includes the following species:
Aldabra flying fox (Pteropus aldabrensis)
Ryukyu flying fox (Pteropus dasymallus)
Lyle's flying fox (Pteropus lylei)
Indian flying fox (Pteropus medius)
Mauritian flying fox (Pteropus niger)
Bonin flying fox (Pteropus pselaphon)
Little golden-mantled flying fox (Pteropus pumilus)
Rodrigues flying fox (Pteropus rodricensis)
Madagascan flying fox (Pteropus rufus)
Seychelles fruit bat (Pteropus seychellensis)
The species name "vampyrus" is derived from the same Slavic word "wampir" — meaning "blood-sucking ghost or demon" — that gave us the word vampire. This name was chosen in reference to the bat’s "alleged blood-sucking habits" although they entirely vegetarian and mostly fruit-eating.

Synonyms that have been used for large flying foxes include Pteropus caninus, Pteropus celaeno, Pteropus edulis (also black-eared flying fox), Pteropus funereus, Pteropus javanicus, Pteropus kalou, Pteropus kelaarti (also Indian flying fox), Pteropus kopangi, Pteropus lanensis (also giant Malay fruit bat), Pteropus malaccensis, Pteropus natunae (a subspecies of the large flying fox that lives in Borneo), Pteropus nudus, Pteropus phaiops (also black-bearded flying fox), Pteropus pluton (subspecies of the large flying fox), Pteropus pteronotus, and Pteropus sumatrensis (subspecies of the large flying fox). Some of these names refer to subspecies of large flying foxes. Others are old names that are no longer used. Some may be disputed species that may be distinct species or subspecies of large flying fox.

Large Flying Foxes

Large flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus, formerly Pteropus giganteus) are also known as greater flying foxes, Malayan flying foxes, Malaysian flying foxes, large fruit bats, kalang, or kalong. They are a southeast Asian species of megabat that lives 15 to 30 years in captivity, and an average of 15 years in the wild.

Large flying foxes are found from Madagascar in the west to Australia in the east. They occur in Southeast Asia from southern Myanmar and southern Vietnam through Malaysia to Singapore and are present in most of Indonesia. Amon the places they are found southern Thailand, eastern Philippines, Sumatra, Timor, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Timor-Leste.[Source: Kelsie Norton, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

range of the large flying fox, the different colors are for different subspecies

Large flying foxes inhabit tropical areas in forests, rainforests, wetlands, swamps, agricultural areas, areas near rivers and water bodies and oceanic islands. They primarily occur in secondary forests that often have access to agricultural areas used for foraging. During the day, groups often roost in large trees often found in mangrove forests, coconut groves, and mixed fruit orchards. Preferred roosting site are in undisturbed forests in lowlands, beach areass, mangroves and riparian environments (wetlands adjacent to rivers). Roost sites are often used for many years and trees become stripped of bark and foliage by the bats' sharp claws. Studies in Subic Bay, Philippines indicate that foraging locations range between 0.4 and 12 kilometers from the roost. /=\

On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List large flying foxes are listed as Near Threatened. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they are in Appendix II, which lists species not necessarily threatened with extinction now but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. In some areas, large flying foxes are viewed as agricultural pests, especially at fruit farms. They are can be very noisy when feeding. Some farmers use flapping or whirling devices and bright lights to drive them off. Flying foxes are also harvested for meat and body parts used in traditional medicines. In Pakistan flying fox fat is valued as a cure rheumatism; in other plcases it is used as a treatment for asthma.

According to the IUCN Red List, populations of large flying foxes are in significant decline, and major threats include chronic over-harvesting and the destruction of its primary habitats. For a while, in peninsular Malaysia, an estimated 22,000 flying foxes were legally hunted each year. If harvesting continues at its current rate, Large flying foxes could soon disappear from western Malaysia. In the Philippines, major threats include hunting and targeting due to noise. Hunting of large flying foxes have more than doubled between 1996 and 2005. In 2003, an estimated 4,500 large flying foxes were killed in a single location and sold into trade. Conservation efforts include enacting hunting laws and reducing harvest rates. Unfortunately, anti-poaching laws and harvest limits are difficult to enforce.

Large Flying Foxes Characteristics and Diet

Large flying foxes as we’ve said before are among the largest bats in the world if not THE largest. They range in weight from 0.6 to 1.1 kilograms (1.3 to 2.4 pounds). Their average wingspan is 1.5 meters (4.92 feet). Forearm length ranges from 18 to 22 centimeters (7 to 8.7 inches) Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females. Sexes are colored or patterned differently. Males have thicker and stiffer fur than females and glandular neck tufts with dark bases.[Source: Kelsie Norton, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Kelsie Norton wrote in Animal Diversity Web: The large flying fox “It has long pointed ears and a dog-like or fox-like face and head. Fur varies in color and texture with age and sex. Upper dorsal fur is short and stiff, with longer, woolier fur on the venter. Head and upper body are covered with a dark mantle ranging in color from mahogany-red to black, and the venter is often darker than the rest of the body. Its wings have short rounded tips. Except for parts close to the body and the edge of the wing membrane, wing membranes lack fur. Young are born with dark skin and fur but become paler as they develop. Large flying foxes are different from most Pteropus in that it has darker underparts and a dark mantle. For example, Indian flying foxes (P. giganteus) and Lyle’s flying fox (P. lylei) have pale underparts that contrast with the darker dorsal fur. Fur color occasionally varies as a few Large flying foxes specimens have lighter mantles, and some have a gray or silver venter. /=\

large flying fox

Large flying foxes have robust skulls, with a nearly complete orbit and a thick, wide zygomatic arch. The postorbital processes reaches more than halfway to the zygomatic arch. The dental formula is 2/2, 1/1, 3/3, 2/3 for a total of 34 teeth. Upper canines have a prominent anterior groove and a smaller groove on the inner surface. /=\

Large are primarily herbivores (primarily eat plants or plants parts) and frugivores (eat fruit). Among the they things they feed on are leaves, nectar, pollen, flowers and fruit such as bananas and mangos. Common foods include the pollen, fruit and flowers of coconut, durian, and fig trees. When foraging, these bats slice the rind with their teeth and extract the fruit with their long tongue, which is also used for lapping up nectar. They can carry up to 200 grams of food at a time and eat half of their body weight in fruit everyday./=\

Large Flying Fox Behavior and Communication

Large flying foxes are arboreal (live mainly in trees), good fliers, nocturnal (active at night), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), migratory (make seasonal movements between regions, such as between breeding and wintering grounds), territorial (defend an area within the home range), social (associates with others of its species; forms social groups), and have dominance hierarchies (ranking systems or pecking orders among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates). Satellite telemetry indicates large adult males are extremely mobile and may travel hundreds of kilometers between roosting sites within a single year. [Source: Kelsie Norton, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Large flying foxes are very social and highly vocal bats that live in groups sometimes numbering in the thousands. They prefer to roost in tall trees that stand relatively by themselves or that rise above the forest canopy. Roost sites are often very noisy and may include several species. Large flying foxes leave their roosts at around sunset and return at dawn. Individuals may fly up to 50 kilometers each night to reach their feeding grounds. They often fly the same route to a feeding ground several nights in a row, sometimes not giving up on it until all resources are exhausted. Large flying foxes form groups ranging from two to 50 at feeding grounds. They usually land on the tips of the branches and fall into a position with their head down to feed. Large flying foxes rest by hanging upside down with wings wrapped around their bodies. During the warmest periods of the day, they sometimes cool themselves by fanning their wings, licking their bodies, or by panting. Roost activity increases as the day progresses and may include short flights around the roost. /=\

Large flying foxes sense using vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected with smell and communicate with vision, touch and sound. They also employ choruses (joint displays, usually with sounds,by individuals of the same or different sex), pheromones (chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species) and scent marks produced by special glands and placed so others can smell and taste them. Unlike most most bats who use echolocation (emitting sound waves and sensing their reflections to determine the location of objects) for in-flight navigation, and large flying fox use their eyes and vision find food along with their acute sense of smell. /=\

Large flying foxes tends to be quiet when flying. During feeding, however, they can often be very noisy. Returning to the roost at dawn is also associated with a lot of loud vocalizations, which are believed claim space and express and maintain territorial boundaries at roosting sites. Large flying foxes are highly territorial and communicate ownership by spreading their wings, growling, or making other vocalizations. There is some evidence that large flying foxes vocalize to communicate emotion as well. The presence of flowers on trees appears to encourage territorial behavior. They are often met with hostile vocalizations and aggressive behavior that promotes spacing between roosting individuals.

Large Flying Fox Mating, Reproduction and Offspring

Large flying foxes are usually polygynous (males have more than one female as a mate at one time), with males protecting a small harem and mating with up to ten females. Dominant males occupy the best roosting sites, and there is a social hierarchy among males. Unlike other flying foxes and large fruit bays, which have fused horns on their baculum (penis bone), large flying foxes have a saddle-shaped baculum. It ranges from 4.5 to 8.2 millimeters and is wider than it is long. The number of offspring ranges from one to two, with the average number of offspring being one. [Source: Kelsie Norton, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Large flying foxes engage in seasonal breeding once a year. Often all the females in a given population give birth around the same time (synchronous birthing). The mating season varies according to local geography and climate In peninsular Malaysia, mating peaks from November to January. In Thailand, birthing peaks during March and April and in the Philippines it peaks during April and May. In captive populations, birthing peaks during May and June.

The gestation period ranges for large flying foxes from 140 to 192 days. The age in which they are weaned ranges from two to three months. On average males and females reach sexual or reproductive maturity at two years. Parental care is provided by females though males often help protect and defend their harems. During the pre-birth and pre-weaning stages provisioning is done by females and protecting is done by males and females. During the pre-independence stage provisioning and protecting are done by females. /=\

Large flying foxes offspring are born with eyes open and fully furred, but in many ways are altricial, which they are born relatively underdeveloped and are unable to feed or care for themselves or move independently for a period of time after birth. Newborns weigh about 133grams (20-30 percent of their mother’s weight) and their forearm length is around eight centimeters (3.1 inches). Mothers carry their young during the first few days after birth, then leave them at the roost while foraging for fruit at night.

Indian Flying Fox

Indian flying foxes

Indian flying foxes (Pteropus giganteus) are associated with most with Indian peninsula but occur as far west as Pakistan, as far east as Myanmar and China, as far north as the Himalayas and as far south as Sri Lanka and the Maldive Islands. They live mainly in tropical areas in forests, rainforests, wetlands and swamps. Large groups of them can be seen in banyan, fig, and tamarind trees. Such roosting trees are usually near a body of water. Little is known about their life expectancy in the wild but they have lived 31.4 years in captivity.[Source: Erin Silbernagel, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Indian flying foxes are primarily frugivores (eat fruit) but also recognized as herbivores (primarily eat plants or plants parts). Among the plant foods they eat are fruit, nectar and flowers. They have been reported eating many different species of fruit, including guava, mango, and fig. They squeeze out fruit juices from the pulp against the roof of their mouth, and then discards the dry material. Some flying fox species get some protein by eating insects. Others, including Indian flying foxes, eat the blossoms and nectar of fruiting plants.

Indian flying foxes are not endangered. The IUCN Red List classifies Indian flying foxes as a species of “Least Concern”. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they are in Appendix II, which lists species not necessarily threatened with extinction now but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. In many areas the Maldives, Pakistan, and India, Indian flying foxes are killed as part of officially sanctioned control measures because of their foraging at fruit orchards. They may also be responsible for spreading the Nipah virus, which has sickened and killed humans. Despite these things, these bats are protected and considered sacred by people in certain regions of India. /=\

Indian Flying Fox Characteristics and Senses

Indian flying foxes are arguably the world’s largest bats based on mass. They range in weight from 0.6 to 1.6 kilograms (1.3 to 3.5 pounds). No other bat weighst more than 1.6 kilograms. Their average length is 23 centimeters (9 inches). Their wingspan ranges from 1.2 to 1.5 meters (3.9 to 4.9 feet) Their average basal metabolic rate is 1.622 watts. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females. /=\

The physical appearance of Indian flying foxes is similar to that of other big flying foxes. They large eyes, simple ears, and no facial ornamentation. Their body fur is dark brown, gray, or black. A contrasting yellowish mantle is typical of flying foxes.

Indian flying foxes sense and communicate with vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. They are very vocal creatures, chattering and squawking when threatened and even when they are hanging out in their roosts. Like other flying foxes, Indian flying foxes does not echolocate. Instead they rely on sight and hearing for navigation. Because of their emphasis on vision, it is plausible they communicate using body postures and positioning. Tactile communication is important during mating, as well as between mothers and their offspring. /=\

Indian Flying Fox Behavior and Reproduction

Indian flying fox range

Indian flying foxes are arboreal (live mainly in trees), good fliers, nocturnal (active at night), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), territorial (defend an area within the home range), social (associates with others of its species; forms social groups), colonial (live together in groups or in close proximity to each other), and have dominance hierarchies (ranking systems or pecking orders among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates). /=\

Indian flying foxes are a social animals. It is not uncommon to find large groups with several hundred individuals living in the same tree. These roosting trees are where Indian flying foxes spend the majority of the day resting and sleeping. At night they travel up to 15 kilometers to find food. Males may maintain a vertical dominance hierarchy of resting spots in the tree, and may also defend the roost and associated females from intruders. During the day, these bats hang upside down by their feet with their wings wrapped around themselves: sleeping, fanning themselves to aid in thermoregulation, move around in the roosting tree, and communicate with each other. At sunset they leave to feed and return after several hours of finding food, feeding, digesting, and resting.

Indian flying foxes are polygynandrous (promiscuous), with both males and females having multiple partners. Females are often a member of a harem defended from intruding males by dominant males that live in their roosting tree. Mating occurs once a year and the mating season is between the months of July and October.The number of offspring ranges from one to two, with the average number of offspring being one.

According to Animal Diversity Web” To initiate copulation, a male will fan his wings toward a female, and persistently follow her until he is able to grip the scruff of her neck with his teeth and hold her with his thumbs. Copulation occurs for a duration of 30 to 40 seconds. The female usually vocalizes and physically resists the advances of the male during the encounter. After copulation, the male again follows the female while vocalizing loudly.

The gestation period of Indian flying foxes ranges from 140 to 150 days. Young are altricial, meaning they are born relatively underdeveloped and are unable to feed or care for themselves or move independently for a period of time after birth. Parental care is taken care of by females although males may protect roosting areas. After birth, young are carried by the mother for the first three weeks of life. They begin to hang by themselves after this time period, but are still carried to feeding sites by the mother. Young learn to fly at about 11 weeks of age and are weaned at five months. On average males and females reach sexual or reproductive maturity at 1.5 years.

Great Flying Foxes

skeleton of a great flying fox

Great flying foxes (Pteropus neohibernicus) are also known as greater flying foxs and Bismarck flying foxes. They are found throughout lowland areas of New Guinea and in Bismarck Archipelago northeast of New Guinea. Conflicting evidence suggests that its closest relative is either the spectacled flying fox or the Pelew and insular flying foxes. Two subspecies are recognized. The subspecies P. n. hilli is smaller than P. n. neohibernicus.[Source: Wikipedia]

At up to 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds) in weight Great flying foxes are among the heaviest bats in the world and the largest bat in Oceania and Melanesia. Their forearm length ranges from 1.65 to 2.07 centimeters (6.5–8.1 inches). Males are typically larger than females. Males have a head and body length of 26.6 to 3.3 centimeters mm (10.5 to 13 inches), while females are 23.4 to 28 centimeters (9.2 to 11 inches) long. Males also have conspicuously larger canine teeth than females.

Great flying foxes lack a tail. Their snout is longer and narrow snout compared to black-bearded flying foxes. They are social animal which roosts with hundreds or thousands of individuals. It is believed that they forage during the day as well as at night for of fruit, including figs, Ceiba pentandra fruits and fruits from the Sapotaceae family. Many roost trees are located near human settlements. They been observed skimming the sea to pluck fruits that are floating on the surface.

In part because of their wide variation in color, Great flying foxes have many taxonomic synonyms, including Pteropus degener, Pteropus papuanus, and Pteropus sepikensis. They are considered species of least-concern by the IUCN, though their numbers have been negatively affected by disease and hunting for bushmeat.

Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox

Giant golden-crowned flying foxes (Acerodon jubatus) are also known as the golden-capped fruit bat. Endemic to the Philippines, they are recognized bys some sources as the largest bat in the world, with the longest documented forearm length of any bat species at 21 centimeters (8.3 inches). The giant golden-crowned flying fox is somewhat dimorphic, with males slightly larger than females in many cranial and external measurements. There are two subspecies (A. j. jubatus and A. j. mindanensis), [Source: Wikipedia]

The giant golden-crowned flying fox gets its common name from its fur coloration. It has golden coloration that begins between its eyes and terminates to a narrow "V" shape at the nape of its neck, though sometimes extending to the upper shoulders. The giant golden-crowned flying fox is an endangered species primarily due to deforestation and poaching for bushmeat. The extinct subspecies (A. jubatus lucifer) was formerly recognized as a full species, the Panay golden-crowned flying fox.

The giant golden-crowned flying fox is primarily frugivorous, consuming several kinds of fig and some leaves. It forages at night and sleeps during the day in tree roosts. These roosts can consist of thousands of individuals, often including another species, the large flying fox. Not much is known about its reproduction; it gives birth annually from April through June, with females having one pup at a time. Predators of the giant golden-crowned flying fox include raptors such as eagles, the reticulated python, and humans.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated January 2025