By Josie June 2nd, 2023
The diet of the Flying Fox primarily consists of fruits, making them true frugivores.
They also consume nectar, blossoms, and pollen from flowering plants.
They can consume a large number of fruits in a single night, typically feasting on about half their body weight or more.
They use their sharp teeth and strong jaws to bite into fruits, often hanging upside down from branches.
Using their elongated tongues, they extract the juice and pulp from the fruits.
Their large eyes and keen vision are one of their vital adaptations.
It's needed for their navigation and hunting for fruits and nectar-rich flowers
Unlike many other bat species, flying foxes do not use echolocation to navigate. Instead, they rely on their keen eyesight and sense of smell.
They can live up to 15 years in the wild, and with excellent care, they’ve been known to live up to 30 years in captivity!
They live in large colonies, sometimes numbering in the thousands.
These colonies, also known as “camps” or “roosts,” can be very noisy
The conservation status of flying foxes vary depending on the particular species, but generally speaking, most are endangered.
In some regions, they are viewed as pests due to their feeding habits, leading to targeted killing efforts.