Mammals · Chiroptera · Pteropodidae

Egyptian Rousette

Rousettus aegyptiacus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is one of the few fruit bats able to echolocate, using tongue clicks rather than the laryngeal system of other bats, combining it with excellent night vision.

Weight

80 g – 170 g

Size

13 cm – 17 cm

Lifespan

22 years

Diet

Frugivore

Feeds mainly on fruit.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaRainforestFrugivore Nocturnal Colonial Savanna Rainforest Mammal

61countries 18parks9same family

Fun facts

sentidosIt is one of the few fruit bats that also echolocates, using tongue clicks alongside its eyesight and sense of smell.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Tropical forest, savannah and Mediterranean scrub of sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula and southern Turkey
Birth weight: Exact weight at birth not found as a precise figure
Size at birth: The young naked at birth, able to fly at 63-70 days
Sexual maturity: 15 months on average (though females can mature as early as 5-7 months)
Gestation / incubation: 115-120 days (3.5-4 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per litter (twins occasionally), with up to 2 births a year
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 25 years in captivity

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; Animalia.bio; BioDB; zoo-ekzo.ru; Lincoln Park Zoo; The Animal Facts; Wikipedia (Egyptian fruit bat); Grokipedia

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: All year round, at dusk, in the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and Africa; by day it hangs in caves and tombs, in very noisy colonies.