Large Flying Fox
Encyclopedia
The Large Flying Fox also known as the Greater Flying Fox, Malaysian Flying Fox, Kalang or Kalong, is a species of megabat
in the family Pteropodidae. Like the other members of the genus Pteropus
, or the Old World fruit bats, it feeds exclusively on fruits. It is noted for being the largest member of the bat family by wingspan. It, as with all other Old World fruit bats, lacks the ability to echolocate
. It should not be confused with Acerodon jubatus which is also large.
The large flying fox is among the largest species of bat. It weighs 0.6 (1.3 lbs) to 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs) and has a wingspan of 1.5 m (4.9 ft) on average. As with all megabats, it has a fox-like face, hence its name. It has no tail and has pointed ears. The hairs on its upper back are short and stiff while the hairs on the lower back, mantle, underparts and sides are longer and woolly.The hairs that make up the mantle tend to be the longest. The color and texture of pelage varies based on age and sex. Males tend to have slightly stiffer and thicker pelage than female do. Immature individuals are almost all dull gray-brown. Young are born with a dark-colored mantle that becomes lighter in males by maturity. The color of pelage on head ranges from mahogany-red and orange-ochreous to blackish. Underparts vary from blackish to brown, with a sprinkling of other colors, ranging from chocolate to gray or silver. The color pelage of the mantle can vary from pale dirty-buff to orange yellow, with a dark-golden brown or dark russet chest. The skull of the large flying fox is large and robust. The dental formula is . It has a total of 34 teeth. The large flying fox has short, slightly rounded wing tips which produce a slow, maneuverable flight. Wing membranes are hairless except near the body where they are distinctly furred. Wings are strengthened by a longitudinal ribs of thicken skin.
Flying foxes can be found in a variety of habitats, such as primary, mangrove forest, coconut groves and mixed fruit orchards. Tress in mangrove forests and coconut groves are commonly used as day roosts. In Malaysia, flying foxes occur mostly in lowland habitats below 365m. In Borneo, flying foxes are common in coastal areas and by invade nearby islands during the fruiting season. Flying fox roosting in groups that range from a few individuals to thousands. One colony was recorded numbering around 2,000 individuals in a mangrove forest in Timor. In general, mangrove roosts have lower numbers of individuals compared to lowland roost sites which suggests that mangroves forests are only used as temporarily.
The large flying fox feed on flower, nectar and fruit. When all three food item are available, flower and nectar are preferred. Flying foxes feed on the pollen, nectar and flower of coconut and durian trees as well as the fruits of rambutan, fig and langsat trees. They will also eat mangoes and bananas. When feeding on fruit, the flying fox usually slices open the rind and extract the pulp. When feeding on the flowers of durian trees, a flying fox locks the nectar with its long tongue but apparently without damaging the flowers. A flying fox will visit serveral different flowers at least twice each night and defends them from conspecifics. During nighly feeding, flying foxes may move to adjacent trees, gliding among the lower branches.
The presence of flowers on trees promotes territorial behavior. A flying fox will spread its wings in a 45° arc and growl at conspecifics when defending its territory. When returning to its day roost at dawn, a flying fox may face hostile behavior from conspecifics. During agonistic behaviors, individaul will spar with their wrists and thumbs, bite, and make loud vocalizations possibly to promote spacing. There is considerable movement and raucous vocalization during the return at dawn. A flying fox will move suitable roosting site after landing using its thumb claws and often fights with others as it moves along the branches. When roosting, the large flying fox usually has it's head downward and its wings wrapped around its body. It does cool its body by fanning with partly outstretched wings during the warm hours of the day. Roosting bats continue to be restless until midmorning. There is some locomotor activity that occurs later in the day, usually short flights around the roost.
Female large flying foxes in some populations give birth single annual peak synchronously, although there are geographical and seasonal variations in the peak. Pregnancies peak from November to January in Peninsular Malaysia, but do sometimes take place in other months. In Thailand, pregnancies are reported to occur during the same period and young are born in March or early April. Females apparently give birth during April and May in the Philippines. This species usually give birth to single young. For the first few days, the young are carried by their mothers, but they are later left in the roosts while their mothers are out foraging. For 2-3 months, young will suckle their mothers.
and mentioned its near-vulnerable status with the following reasons.
One threat to the large flying fox is the loss and degregation of mangroves for coastal reclamation, aquaculture, commercial logging, and land clearing for rubber plantations. Flying fox are sometimes hunted for food and the controls on hunting seem to be unenforceable. In some areas, flying foxes are considered as pest to farmer as they sometimes feed on their orchards. Management of colonies on small islands may be the most effective method for protection.
Megabat
Megabats constitute the suborder Megachiroptera, family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera . They are also called fruit bats, old world fruit bats, or flying foxes.-Description:...
in the family Pteropodidae. Like the other members of the genus Pteropus
Pteropus
Bats of the genus Pteropus, belonging to the megabat or Megachiroptera sub-order, are the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as the fruit bats or flying foxes among other colloquial names...
, or the Old World fruit bats, it feeds exclusively on fruits. It is noted for being the largest member of the bat family by wingspan. It, as with all other Old World fruit bats, lacks the ability to echolocate
Animal echolocation
Echolocation, also called biosonar, is the biological sonar used by several kinds of animals.Echolocating animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various objects near them. They use these echoes to locate and identify the objects...
. It should not be confused with Acerodon jubatus which is also large.
Description
Ecology
The large flying fox ranges from southern Burma and Thailand eastward to the Philippines and southward to Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Timor. In Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo, the bat is most common in coastal regions, but it can also be found at altitudes up to 1,370 m.Flying foxes can be found in a variety of habitats, such as primary, mangrove forest, coconut groves and mixed fruit orchards. Tress in mangrove forests and coconut groves are commonly used as day roosts. In Malaysia, flying foxes occur mostly in lowland habitats below 365m. In Borneo, flying foxes are common in coastal areas and by invade nearby islands during the fruiting season. Flying fox roosting in groups that range from a few individuals to thousands. One colony was recorded numbering around 2,000 individuals in a mangrove forest in Timor. In general, mangrove roosts have lower numbers of individuals compared to lowland roost sites which suggests that mangroves forests are only used as temporarily.
The large flying fox feed on flower, nectar and fruit. When all three food item are available, flower and nectar are preferred. Flying foxes feed on the pollen, nectar and flower of coconut and durian trees as well as the fruits of rambutan, fig and langsat trees. They will also eat mangoes and bananas. When feeding on fruit, the flying fox usually slices open the rind and extract the pulp. When feeding on the flowers of durian trees, a flying fox locks the nectar with its long tongue but apparently without damaging the flowers. A flying fox will visit serveral different flowers at least twice each night and defends them from conspecifics. During nighly feeding, flying foxes may move to adjacent trees, gliding among the lower branches.
Behavior and life history
Colonies of large flying foxes leave roost sites near dusk in a silent and loose stream, and never in a dense flock, that continues past nightfall. They may fly to their feeding grounds nightly for up to 50 km. This species flies in a strong and deliberate matter without vocalizing. Large flocks may split into family or feeding groups ranging that number from a few to over 50 individuals, when they arrive at the feeding grounds. Flying foxes may circle a fruit tree before landing, and usually land on the tips of branches in an upright position, then falling into a head-down position from which they feed. Feeding aggregations tend to be very noisy.The presence of flowers on trees promotes territorial behavior. A flying fox will spread its wings in a 45° arc and growl at conspecifics when defending its territory. When returning to its day roost at dawn, a flying fox may face hostile behavior from conspecifics. During agonistic behaviors, individaul will spar with their wrists and thumbs, bite, and make loud vocalizations possibly to promote spacing. There is considerable movement and raucous vocalization during the return at dawn. A flying fox will move suitable roosting site after landing using its thumb claws and often fights with others as it moves along the branches. When roosting, the large flying fox usually has it's head downward and its wings wrapped around its body. It does cool its body by fanning with partly outstretched wings during the warm hours of the day. Roosting bats continue to be restless until midmorning. There is some locomotor activity that occurs later in the day, usually short flights around the roost.
Female large flying foxes in some populations give birth single annual peak synchronously, although there are geographical and seasonal variations in the peak. Pregnancies peak from November to January in Peninsular Malaysia, but do sometimes take place in other months. In Thailand, pregnancies are reported to occur during the same period and young are born in March or early April. Females apparently give birth during April and May in the Philippines. This species usually give birth to single young. For the first few days, the young are carried by their mothers, but they are later left in the roosts while their mothers are out foraging. For 2-3 months, young will suckle their mothers.
Status
A recent update by the IUCN has listed the species as Near ThreatenedNear Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
and mentioned its near-vulnerable status with the following reasons.
- "Listed as Near Threatened because this species is in significant decline (but at a rate of probably less than 30% over ten years or three generations) because it is being over-harvested for food over much of its range, and because of ongoing degradation of its primary forest habitat, making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable under criterion A."
One threat to the large flying fox is the loss and degregation of mangroves for coastal reclamation, aquaculture, commercial logging, and land clearing for rubber plantations. Flying fox are sometimes hunted for food and the controls on hunting seem to be unenforceable. In some areas, flying foxes are considered as pest to farmer as they sometimes feed on their orchards. Management of colonies on small islands may be the most effective method for protection.