Fox with Wings - Indian Flying Fox

We all know about a little fox wondering in forest, which is quit look like our home dog,

But no one see ever a fox flying in a sky......

So, I turn our journey to see a fox flying in a sky...

I am talking about "World's Largest Bat- Indian Flying Fox".






Introduction Part

  • The Indian Flying Fox also known as the greater Indian Fruit Bat , is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae.

  • It is noctumal and feeds mainly on ripe, fruits.


 Physical Characteristics 

  • The Indian Flying fox may be the world's largest Bat.
  • The physical appearance of this species is similar to that of megachiropterans in general with large eyes, simple ears and no facial ornamentation.
  • Dark brown , gray or black body colour with a contrasting yellowish mantle is typical of the genus Pteropus.
  • Body mass ranges from 600 to 1600 gm and males are generally larger than females.
  • Wingspan may range from 1.2 to 1.5 m and body length averages 23 cm.
  • Members of the genus Pteropus maintain body temperatures between 33 to 37 degree Celsius, but must do this through constant activity.  
Distribution and Habitat

  • The Indian Flying Fox lives in a tropical forests and swamps, near bodies of water.
  • They also live on coastal islands, and it is theorized that ancestors migrated here long ago and found a liking to it , or were blown there and quickly forged a lifestyle. 
  • It is found in India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Tibet, Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal.


Feeding

  • The Indian Flying fox is frugivorous or nectarivorous i.e., they eat fruits or lick nectar from flowers.
  • At dusk, these bats forage for ripe fruit.
  • While ingesting fruit, these bats expel waste that pollinates and disperse seeds.  


Reproduction

  • Mating season : Pteropus giganteus is a polygynandrous species, and breeds  yearly from July to October.
  • Births occur from February to May. Gestation period is typically 140 to 150 days.
  • The average number of birth is 1 to 2 pups. Among members of the genus Pteropus, pups are carried by the mother for the first few weeks of life, with weaning occurring around 5 months of age.

  • Males do not participate in parental care.
  • Young bats learn to fly at approximately 11 weeks of age.
  • Reproductive maturity occurs at 1.5 years.


Disease transmission

  • Like other fruit bats, the Indian flying fox may be a natural reservoir for a number of diseases including members of groups Henipavirus and Coronavirus.
  • These can prove fatal to humans and domestic animals.
  • Fruit bats are considered a delicacy by South Pacific Islanders as well as in Micronesia where, on the Island of Guam, consumption has been suggested as a possible cause of Lytico-Bodig disease.    
  






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