Indian Flying Fox
Bats are the only mammals capable of flight. They belong to the Order Chiroptera which means "hand-winged".
- Length 30 cm
- Weight 1 kg
- Lifespan 15 to 30 years
- Diet Fruit, nectar and insects
- Habitat Tropical and wetland regions
- Reproduction 1 to 2 cubs
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Morphology
They are large Bats, with large eyes, simple ears and no fur on the face. The body color is dark brown or black with an orange belly, typical of the genus Pteropus. They exhibit sexual dimorphism, where males are generally larger than females. The wingspan can vary between 1m and 1.5m in length.
Behaviour
These animals live in large colonies of up to a thousand individuals. During the day they rest in caves or trees and, after sunset, they go out in search of food. As they feed and fly through the forest, they pollinate and disperse seeds, helping to regenerate plant growth in the ecosystem. For this reason, they play an important role in the proliferation of Biodiversity. They can fly up to 60 km in a night looking for food.
Reproduction
The mating season of this species occurs from July to October and has a gestation period of approximately 5 months. After the birth of 1 to 2 young, they are carried by the mother during the first weeks of life. They reach sexual maturity after 1.5 years of age.
Habitat
The Indian Flying Fox is distributed throughout southern Asia and is found mainly in tropical and wetland regions. The number of colonies near urbanized areas, agricultural fields and roadsides, has been increasing.
Conservation
There are no specific conservation actions for this species. They belong to Appendix II of CITES.
