Flying foxes belong to the large family of the Pteropodidae, the fruit-eating bats. The family consists of nearly two hundred species. Flying dogs are also called flying dogs or big bats. Like a bat, they can fly very well, the bat’s head actually resembles that of a dog and they are relatively large with a few exceptions. Flying foxes are herbivores and rely on their keen senses. In nature, bat dogs live to be +/- fifteen years old.
Appearance bat
Flying foxes can vary greatly in weight and size, they come from 50 grams but also from 500 grams, their wingspan varies between 24 cm and 180 cm. The flying fox literally looks like a dog. For example, the mammal has a pointed snout that looks a bit like a dog. But the bat also has wings, just like a bat and he can fly very well with them, they come quickly through quiet, controlled strokes. While flying, the bat makes enormous cries, the mammal communicates in this way. The wings run all the way from the hind legs to the fingertips, but differ per bat. According to scientists, this is due to the amount of wind per area and because they eat from different fruit trees. The flying fox uses its wings in a multifunctional way; when the bat sleeps, it wraps its wings around itself like a kind of coat or warm blanket. He uses it as a kind of fan when it gets too hot and even as an umbrella against the rain.
The bat has slender front and rear legs. He uses these as claws, so the animal can climb well and hold on to a tree, for example. Just like the bat, the bat hangs instead of standing. The flying fox has very powerful thumbs to handle the food well. The “flying dog” also has large eyes, the purpose of which is that it can recognize food, especially fruit, in the dark.
Difference bats and bats
- Bats eat insects while bats eat fruit.
- Bats live in caves, bats in trees.
- Feather mice are smaller than bat dogs.
- Bats use their sonar to search for bugs in the dark, they hunt. Flying foxes don’t have sonar and they don’t need it because fruit doesn’t move and they don’t have to hunt.
- Flying foxes are literally fun animals, they live in large groups.
- Bat dogs have excellent eyesight, better than that of the bat. They can recognize food very quickly and estimate distances.
Habitat: where can bats be found?
Flying foxes live in tropical and subtropical areas in wooded areas where they can enjoy a variety of fruits all year round. They are mainly found in Africa. The bat can also be found in Asia and Australia. Flying foxes rest in tall trees or in caves during the day, they like dark places.
What exactly does the bat eat?
Flying foxes love soft fruits such as figs, bananas and mangoes. However, the bat does not eat everything, half often fall to the ground or rot on the tree. The bat also feeds on honey juice, especially in Gambia. He gets this from under the flowers.
Is a flying fox aggressive?
The bat mainly comes into action at night, but also during the day he pays close attention. Yet the bat is not aggressive at all, but rather a very shy, fearful animal, at the slightest sound the bat quickly flies away. The biggest enemy of this mammal is humans, farmers often kill bats because they are a threat to their fruit production. Other enemies are owls, monitor lizards, tree snakes and eagles.
Reproduce
Flying foxes are already fertile after eighteen months. They reproduce in two specific months: February and March. The gestation period lasts six months and usually one (sometimes two) young is born. The young will stay with its mother for a month, the mother will stay with the young constantly. Then the mother will look for food. Only after two months the young can fly itself and a month later also for example look for fruit. After four and five months, the bat has matured and can live independently. A striking fact is that the nursing females visit each other and stay together.
Ebola
Some bats are carriers of dangerous diseases including Ebola. The first recorded human outbreak of the Ebola virus was in 1976, but the source of the virus is still unknown. However, tests from 2015 found antibodies to the Ebola virus in several bats. If an infected bat bites into a piece of fruit and then drops it, another animal can eat it and become infected. It can then infect people in this way, for example by slaughtering these animals.
It is important to note that certain types of bats in Africa are immune to the Ebola virus, so bats can be carriers of Ebola without getting sick themselves. If the cause of this can be found out, scientists say it will open completely new doors for new treatments and medicines for humans.