Species group · Mammals

Flying Foxes

WAnimals has 8 species of flying fox, all in the family Pteropodidae.

8 species
1 family
39 countries
94 parks
Weight
240 g – 1.6 kg
Length
14 cm – 30 cm
Lifespan
15 – 20 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 8.

All 8 species of flying foxes on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

4 Endangered2 Least Concern1 Near Threatened1 Vulnerable

5 especies in this group están en alguna categoría de riesgo real según la UICN.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 39 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • It cannot echolocate, and makes up for it with very good eyesight.

    From Large Flying-fox

  • It eats fruit, nectar and flowers.

    From Large Flying-fox

  • Males guard small harems of up to ten females through the breeding season.

    From Large Flying-fox

  • It is one of the largest bats in the world by wingspan, at up to 1.5 metres.

    From Large Flying-fox

  • It forms colonies of hundreds to thousands in a single tree.

    From Large Flying-fox

  • Males follow a vertical dominance hierarchy according to where in the tree they roost.

    From Large Flying-fox

  • Every year between October and December some ten million of these bats gather in a small swamp forest at Kasanka, in Zambia: it is the largest congregation of mammals known on the planet.

    From African Straw-coloured Fruit-bat

  • Some individuals cover more than 2,000 kilometres on their seasonal migrations, the greatest distance documented for an African bat.

    From African Straw-coloured Fruit-bat

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one