Indian flying fox

Pteropus giganteus

Fascinating Facts

• The Indian flying fox has a wingspan of approximately 5 ft!
• Colonies number from several hundred to thousands of bats.
• Flying foxes can consume up to half their body weight every day.
• They fly 9 to 40 miles every night in search of food.
• Unlike insectivorous bats who rely on echolocation, flying foxes depend on sight and smell to find their food.
• As they feed, they spit out dry pulp and seeds, enabling plant growth and dispersal.

Habitat/Diet

Tropical forests, swamps, and wetlands. They require very large trees as bat colonies live together in huge groups. The most common trees are banyan, tamarind, and fig. Their diet consists mainly of figs, but they supplement with other fruit, flowers, nectar, and occasionally insects.

Status in the Wild

Least Concern – IUCN 2008

Range

Southern Asia

Location in the Zoo

Mammals Zone of the Sculpture Learning Plaza