The largest of the bats are foxes and dogs. Flying foxes (Mergans)
Flying foxes(lat. Pteropus) is a genus of bats of the fruit bat family. They feed on the juice and pulp of fruits and flowers. They live in South and Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Oceania, Australia and Madagascar. Large in size, up to 40 cm long, wingspan up to 1.5 m (Javanese kalong), small tail. The muzzle is pointed, the ears are small, and overall the head resembles that of a dog or fox. There are about 58 species in total.
Despite the dubious “notes” in the Latin name of this representative of the fruit bat family, big flying fox or kalong(lat. Pteropus vampyrus) is a very cute animal that feeds exclusively on fruit pulp and flowers.
Depending on their habitat, fruit bats vary in size and color. The largest of them is the great flying fox or kalong, which lives in the territories of the Malay Peninsula, Indochina, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and the islands nearby.
The size of its body can reach 40 centimeters in length, and its wingspan can reach 1.5-1.7 meters, which is a record among other fruit bats. The body is covered with sparse black fur, the head and neck have a reddish or reddish tint.
These animals received their fox name for two reasons: firstly, their faces are very similar to the faces of these cheats, and, secondly, they, like foxes, completely trust their sensitive hearing when searching for food.
Fruit bats have similar characteristics to bats: they are nocturnal and have broad, leathery, membranous wings. This is probably where all the coincidences end. Unlike mice, flying foxes, including the hero of our article, are vegetarians and, most importantly, do not have echolocation devices. Although cave representatives still have the simplest devices for creating sound signals for orientation in the dark.
Their natural habitat is dense forests. Sometimes kalongs can be found in the mountains, at an altitude of no more than 1300 meters above sea level. They live in large groups and if not disturbed, they can live in one place for many years.
Their main activity occurs at night, but during the day they peacefully settle down for the night or rest, hanging on branches, in hollows or on uneven walls in caves and wrapping themselves in wide wings, like in a blanket. During hot periods, they periodically use their wings as fans, fanning their bodies with them.
During the “hunt”, flying foxes have to use all their dexterity and dexterity. Seeing a delicious fruit in the distance, the fox rushes headlong towards it and tries to pick it right on the fly. But most often a less extreme option is used - the fox hangs on a branch by one leg, and with the other plucks the fruit and puts it in its mouth. Then he crushes it, sucks out all the juice and part of the pulp, and spits out the rest.
The breeding season for kalongs begins in March-April. The duration of pregnancy ranges from 4.5 to 7 months. The first time after birth, females carry the cubs with them, but when they grow a little, they leave them on a branch and go in search of food. After 2-3 months, the cubs become more or less independent.
Flying foxes bring both benefit and harm. The first includes the spread of plant seeds, and the second includes damage to fruit plantations.
Not long ago, the great flying fox was listed in the IUCN Red List, but now it is already considered a stable species and is not currently in danger of extinction.
Read also: Unusual “pet” - flying dog - 20 photos
Reproduction of articles and photographs is permitted only with a hyperlink to the site:Nature is rich in extraordinary representatives of the fauna, which never cease to amaze with their appearance. Some of the most unusual and mysterious creatures that live in the jungle are mystical animals that hunt at night. In terms of the structure of its muzzle and body, the flying fox resembles a dog or a forest trickster, after which it is named. Thanks to their leathery wings, many people classify these animals as a species of bat. But whether this is so will become clear after studying all the details.
Who is a flying fox
The animal belongs to the genus of bats, which are among the largest representatives of this species group. Animals from the fruit bat family are called flying foxes or flying dogs for their external resemblance to them. Bats, which partly include fruit bats, are the only species of mammals that can move through the air.
The general mass of representatives of the order Chiroptera feeds on insects. Some carnivorous subspecies eat the meat of rodents and other small animals during the hunting season. Fruit bats are exclusively herbivorous animals.
Habitat
Flying foxes live in tropical and subtropical forests of Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Hindustan, New Guinea, Australia, Oceania, Madagascar and some other nearby islands. Flying dogs can be found in the tropics and subtropics of South and Southeast Asia. Due to their feeding habits, the natural habitat for these animals is dense forests with an abundance of fruit trees, especially mango and eucalyptus thickets. Sometimes fruit bats can be found in mountainous areas at an altitude not exceeding 1200 meters.
What does a flying fox look like?
The cute little pointed face looks like a dog or fox, which is how the animal got its name. On the top of the head there are small ring-shaped auricles. The similarity between fruit bats and foxes lies not only in appearance, but also in the fact that when searching for food they completely trust their sensitive hearing and well-developed vision.
Large, wide-spanned leathery wings with membranes and a nocturnal lifestyle make fruit bats similar to bats, but that’s where their similarities end. The membranous wings extend from the lower five-fingered limbs with large claws to the upper ones, which end in a single clawed finger. The tropical flying fox has thick fur of various colors on its body. The fur can be dark brown, gray, black, red and other colors with all sorts of shades.
Animal sizes
The body size of some flying foxes reaches up to 45 centimeters in length. The weight of such large individuals reaches 1–1.5 kg, while the usual body weight for kalongs is considered to be about 600 grams. The size of flying dogs depends on the species to which they belong. The smallest animal of this type is found at a height of about 7 cm, and its giant counterparts reach a length of up to half a meter.
The scale of the leathery membranous wings of large kalongs extends from 1.5 to 1.8 meters. In small individuals, the wingspan is much smaller and is approximately 25 cm or wider. The most common species is considered to be the small flying fox with a wing width of up to one meter and a body size of approximately 20 centimeters.
The impressive scope makes it possible for bats to fly very long distances overnight, amounting to hundreds of meters.
Animal species
In total, there are more than 60 species of winged foxes, which differ depending on the area where they live. Each species has its own sizes and colors, distinguishing them from each other. The dimensions of flying dogs vary from dwarf to giant. The smallest is considered the small Sulawesi fruit bat, which local residents of the subtropical region consider to bring good luck. The opposite is the giant Javan kalong, whose impressive size can frighten people who are not familiar with this species of animal.
- Types of flying foxes:
- giant (pteropus vampyrus);
- Comorian (pteropus livingstonii);
- small (pteropus hypomelanus);
- Indian (pteropus giganteus);
- spectacled (pteropus conspicillatus);
- dwarf (pteropus pumilus);
- grey-headed (pteropus poliocephalus);
- Lombok (pteropus lombocensis);
- island (pteropus insularis);
masked (pteropus personatus) and many other species.
Giant flying fox
The largest representative of flying foxes is considered to be the golden Javan kalong. Large individuals in adulthood reach a length of up to 55 cm, and at the forearm - 23 centimeters. Body weight depends on the age category and varies from 0.65 to 1.2 kg. The wingspan of giant kalongs is about 2 meters. The color of the head is reddish, the fur on the back is black, with sparse white hairs.
The main habitat of the giant kalong is Indochina, but large flying dogs can also be found on the Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and some other places. In addition to large and small islands, the giant flying fox lives in mountainous forested areas. She leads an active nocturnal lifestyle, obtaining food for herself, which is tropical fruits.
Flying foxes of this species have a characteristic feature that gives them their name - a light mask around the eyes, reminiscent of glasses. The fur is predominantly dark in color interspersed with yellow or red color. The body weight of spectacled fruit bats ranges from 400 g to 1 kg with sizes ranging from 21 to 25 centimeters. With such dimensions, the wingspan of a flying dog is within limits not exceeding 1 meter.
This type of fruit bat is especially common in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. Prefers to live in tropical humid and mangrove wooded areas. Fruit bats leave for a night meal at dusk, uniting in large flocks numbering several thousand individuals. Spectacled winged dogs feed mainly on the fruits of mulberry trees, such as figs, and the flowers of myrtle plants (syzygium, eucalyptus).
Indian flying dog
The fruit bats of this species are distinguished by their bright red fur and large, expressive eyes. With a body length of about 30 cm, the wingspan ranges from 120 to 140 centimeters. The body weight of males ranges from 1.3 to 1.6 kg, and the weight of females is no more than 1 kilogram. The Indian flying fox is one of the few fruit bats that has echolocation abilities, which they rarely use, relying mainly on highly developed vision and hearing.
The habitat of Indian flying dogs covers the Hindustan Peninsula from Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar) through Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Pakistan to the Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean. Animals prefer swampy areas and tropical rain forests. Within the continent, clans of flying foxes settle near bodies of water because they like to swim in the heat. They feed on bananas, guava, mangoes and other fruits, as well as flower nectar and pollen. To supply the body with minerals, Indian winged dogs drink sea water.
Comoros
The body weight of winged dogs ranges from 600 to 800 g with a wingspan of 1.4 to 1.8 meters. Livingston's flying foxes look slightly ominous due to the fact that they have dark fur combined with black leathery wings. Comorian fruit bats live in cloud forests, where they feed on fruits such as yellow ficus and other fruits within their reach.
Livingston's flying foxes can only be found on two islands of the Comoros archipelago. The population of fruit bats of this species is on the verge of extinction due to deforestation in the area for banana plantations. There are less than 1 thousand individuals left in nature of these extraordinary animals, so they are listed in the Red Book. To preserve Livingston's fruit bats, the D. Durrell Wildlife Trust keeps a number of Comorian flying foxes in captivity.
Lesser flying fox
The body length of such a winged dog ranges from 18 to 25 cm, weighs from 200 to 500 g, and the wingspan reaches up to 1.2 meters. The body and head of the animal are covered with short fur of cream, golden or white color on the belly and black on the head and back. The small flying dog can be found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, the Maldives and the Solomon Islands. They eat all kinds of fruits, green foliage, flower nectar, and tree bark.
Characteristics
Most varieties of fruit bats do not have echolocation because they see and hear perfectly. Fruit bats move through the air in search of food thanks to highly developed vision, smell and hearing. Flying foxes are calm animals, if you do not take into account their desire to dominate younger individuals. In moments of struggle for leadership, winged dogs make piercing sounds that are unpleasant to the ear.
Lifestyle of fruit bats
After a hearty meal at dawn, flying foxes return to their roosts, where they will spend the entire day resting their strength after an active night. Winged dogs sleep in flocks in caves or on tree branches. They climb thick branches and hang upside down on their paws and rest in this position. On cool days while sleeping, when flying foxes hang on branches, they wrap their wings around themselves like a blanket, and in hot weather they use them as a fan.
Flying dogs can live in clans on the same tree for tens of years until they are disturbed. These animals prefer a large company of their own kind; settlements of flying foxes often number up to 1 thousand individuals. If necessary, if the area runs out of fruit, fruit bats will fly tens of kilometers, but return to their tree (ceiba, durian and other species). Sometimes during the day you can hear the cries of flying foxes - these are adult males dominating over young ones for the right to have a more comfortable place to rest.
When dusk falls again, the packs of flying dogs will once again set out for their nightly meal. This daily ritual keeps both the fruit bats and their jungle habitat alive. Flying dogs pose a threat only to farmers, because with their numerous colonies they can destroy entire plantations of cultivated crops, thereby causing colossal damage to them.
What does a flying fox eat?
Fruit bats have adapted to feed exclusively on juicy tropical fruits. When searching for food, flying foxes are aided by their sense of smell and vision. These features are reflected by the structure of the muzzle: a long nose with tubular nostrils, large eyes and small ears. Using teeth of a special structure, these animals chew fruits, suck out nutrient-rich fruit nectar and spit out the pulp. Liquid nutrition is ideal for the high-speed metabolism of flying foxes.
When a flying fox finds food, it rushes into the crown and, having chosen a suitable branch near the fruit, fastens on it with its paws. Hanging comfortably on the branches, it pulls the sweet delicacy to its mouth with one of its hind legs or with clawed fingers located on its wings. Flying foxes carefully crush fruits thanks to their flat-tubed teeth. A specially adapted tongue with well-developed papillae helps them drink nectar from fruits. Having eaten all the fruits located in the nearest radius, the winged dog moves to neighboring branches with fruits.
During the night, each fruit bat consumes an amount of food that is twice its own weight, so that the nutritional reserves last for a day. The insatiable appetite of flying dogs has enormous benefits for the ecosystem. They contribute to large-scale pollination of fruit trees and flowers of various tropical plants, because in search of food they carry pollen on their fur. Fruit bats help spread seeds throughout the forest soil - in the nutrient medium of their excrement, some grains will take root and eventually turn into new fruit trees.
Reproduction and lifespan in natural conditions
The ability to reproduce in fruit bats occurs at approximately two years of age. From approximately July to October, flying foxes begin the process of procreation. After conception, approximately 130–190 days later (gestation period may vary depending on the species), the female gives birth to a calf. For the first month, a newborn fruit bat lives without being separated from its parent.
While the cub is very small, it clings to its mother and accompanies her while searching for food after dark. A month later, after the baby grows up, it becomes difficult for the female to carry him, and she leaves the young fruit bat on a tree. The cub stays with its mother for six months, after which it begins an independent life. The lifespan of flying foxes is about 14 years in natural conditions.
Flying foxes in captivity
Wild fruit bats can be found in outdoor zoos or botanical gardens. If, when living in freedom, the lifespan of flying dogs rarely reaches 15 years, then in captivity, with proper care, the duration of existence doubles. Cute faces and good disposition have attracted the attention of lovers of exotic pets to flying foxes. To keep a fruit bat at home, you will need a very spacious enclosure.
Relationships with a person
The flying fox easily gets used to communicating with people if it feels a favorable attitude on their part. A fruit bat can allow itself to be stroked by a person who has gained its favor. They happily accept treats from people, such as bananas, apples, avocados and other fruits. A conflict can only arise when fruit bats attack plantations with cultivated crops. At the same time, the winged foxes themselves suffer due to poisoning with pesticides. Flying dogs are of interest to people for their meat, and their fat is used for medicinal purposes.
Video
Who are flying foxes? Where do they live, what do they eat, what family do they belong to? In this article we will answer the questions posed. The animal world is very interesting to people, they constantly watch it.
Appearance
Flying foxes are huge members of the fruit bat family. These animals love to eat flowers and fruits, or rather, their juice and pulp. Flying foxes grow up to forty centimeters - this is very large for mice. The span of one wing reaches one and a half meters. The Javan kalong (as flying foxes are also called) is quite terrifying. They have a small pointed muzzle, the tail and ears of the animal are small.
There are more than fifty-five species of kalongs in nature. Flying foxes, or rather their faces, are very similar to a fox or a dog. These animals live in Oceania and Madagascar, South and East Asia, Australia and New Guinea. In Latin, the name of flying foxes also sounds a little scary - pteropus. But in fact, these are cute creatures that do not eat meat.
Similarities with other animals
Kalong (or big flying fox) is the largest among all other species of fruit bats. The body color is black, the head and neck are red. Sparse, slippery fur grows over the body.
Kalong and the red-haired rogue are very similar not only in their faces. These animals have well-developed hearing. It is he who helps them find the food they need. Flying foxes also bear some resemblance to bats: they have leathery wings and are active at night.
Kalongs do not eat meat, but only fruit juice and pulp. This is their main difference from bats. This seemingly terrifying animal is a vegetarian. Also, flying foxes do not have echolocation devices. The ancestors of the Kalongs had something similar; they made sounds so that they could easily navigate at night.
Flying foxes live in large flocks in the same place. If no one disturbs the animals, they will stay there for many years. Usually kalongs like to live in dense forests, but they can still be found in the mountains, at an altitude of up to a thousand meters above sea level.
Animal Agility
The giant flying fox usually rests during daylight hours. She clings to tree branches with her paws and sleeps or simply remains motionless. Kalong can also settle in a hollow or cave, grasping onto uneven walls. He wraps his body with large wings, as if covered with a blanket. Sometimes flying foxes get very hot (in the summer). But smart animals fan themselves with their huge wings, creating a breeze.
During the night “hunt”, flying foxes also show all their agility and agility. Right on the fly, the animal tries to pick a fruit seen from afar. But usually fruit bats simply cling to a tree branch with one leg, and pick the fruit with the other. First, the foxes put it in their mouths, then crush it, suck out the juice and eat part of the pulp. Kalong will spit out whatever is left of the fruit down onto the ground.
Fruit bats can be called both helpers and pests of nature. On the positive side, flying foxes spread seeds. But damage to fruit trees, and even entire plantations, can be called negative.
The benefits of flying foxes
Kalongs breed in early spring (March-April). The female carries the cub for about seven months. When a flying fox gives birth to a small fruit bat, she immediately takes it with her for the first time. Only when the baby becomes independent (at about two to three months) does the mother leave him on a branch and fly off to get food.
Recently, the giant flying fox has been listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. At the moment, the fruit bat is not an endangered species, but a stable one. “Flying fox”, “fruit mouse”, “flying Zorro” - these are all the names of these vegetarian animals.
Fruit bats naturally have very interesting teeth; they are specially designed for eating fruits and leaves. Local farmers value flying foxes very much; they help people. Mice pollinate wild and cultivated plants, and people live by selling fruit, so they are happy to welcome them in their gardens.
Exotic animal in Russia
Recently, the Russian population had the opportunity to look at a huge fruit bat at the exhibition of the Nizhny Novgorod Exotarium. Many people want to look at an unusual exotic animal. After all, this exhibition is the only one where you can get acquainted with the flying fox.
In the Exotarium, they try to create the most comfortable conditions for their stay. The spacious room for the first time should be of such a size that the animal cannot fly. This makes it easier for the exotarium workers to accustom the flying fox to people and simply take care of it. So far, at the Nizhny Novgorod exhibition you can only see a female named Tanakha, but soon she will not be alone.
Again, I went wherever my eyes wandered around the island of Bali on a motorcycle and found...
These are not bats, these are fruit bats. They are also called flying foxes or flying dogs. They are much larger than bats, their wingspan reaches one and a half meters. The first time I saw them was in , hundreds of silhouettes of Batman logos were flying in the sunset sky. In , we were able to take a closer look at these funny creatures and give them tea and cheesecakes.
Fruit bats live only in the tropics and subtropics; Fruit bats do not live in Russia. Fruit bats are nocturnal and sleep during the day, hanging on tree branches. They live in fairly large colonies. They are on the verge of extinction.
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They feed mainly on fruits; some species also eat insects. These flying dogs can pick fruits while flying. During the night, a fruit bat can travel up to one hundred kilometers.
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I have turned many of the photos upside down for easier viewing. Upon closer inspection, these fox-winged fruit bats turned out to be cute and funny creatures. They try to lick their fingers all the time, you can pet them and give them some fruit tea. There is a small hole in the lid of the tea bottle.
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Four months ago, at the Bali bird market, we bought a small male Kalong and named him Plaxik. They are called Batman here. On the first day we met, he grabbed my finger and described it.
Flying foxes are nocturnal, waking up at sunset, which is around seven o'clock in the evening in Bali, and falling asleep at dawn. They feed on sweet fruits, their favorite delicacies: papaya, bananas, mangoes. They drink sweet water. I dilute the water with honey or children's vitamins.
During the day, Plaxik slept in a wicker basket, and at night he crawled everywhere and flew. On the first evening, he climbed out of the basket and tried to fly, but all he could do was jump around on the floor. On the second and third nights he came into our bed at five in the morning and began crawling all over my husband. Their claws are very sharp, and its crawling is not very pleasant. We had to move him to the bathroom for the night. There we hung a towel on one side and a jacket on the other, and he flew between them.
Plaxik loved my husband very much. He jumped on him at any opportune moment and licked his hands. Sometimes he slept under the jacket on me.
When we moved into the house, Plaksik lived in an empty room. All the time he was trying to get away somewhere, actively crawling along the bars on the windows and loudly flapping his wings in flight. Even at the age of 4 months, the boy was already 30 cm long and with a wingspan of just under a meter. He became fluffy, with shiny fur. I learned to fly well and stopped slamming into walls.
It was very interesting to watch him at night, how he goes down to get food, drinks water, warms up before the flight and flutters under the ceiling. If the light in the room was turned on, all activity stopped.
Every morning we swept and washed the floors in the room. Fortunately, they poop with the same fruits and there is no stink, only a specific smell from the animal itself. It smells like papaya, so I don't eat it.
At some point he became very angry, he would fight every night, it hurt very much and he would bite with rage. And then we bought a girl and named her Chuchundra, or Chucha. They didn’t immediately notice that she had fleas, so they both had to be treated. Plaxik took it hard, biting all night and could only eat when his back was scratched. After three water treatments with flea shampoo, the problem disappeared.
The girl turned out to be wayward, her teeth and claws were smaller and sharper, and therefore she bit and scratched until she bled.
The crybaby immediately became kinder, constantly pestered the girl, and received cries from her. They fought without rules almost every night, but over time they became friends. Now they lived outside in an enclosure 2 meters long and 170 cm high.
Several times we forgot to close the enclosure and the inquisitive boy flew off into the night, but in the morning we found him on the first tree behind the house and took him back. Now he was allowed to fly freely, he still returned. But one day he flew so far that we couldn’t find him.
A few more photos and videos of the babies. And also a photo from the park, where adult individuals of incredible size live.