Species Fact Profile: Malayan Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus)

                                               Malayan, or Large, Flying Fox

                                               Pteropus vampyrus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Range: Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Myanmar, Malayan Peninsula), Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Timor, and adjacent small islands), Philippines

Habitat: Tropical Rainforest, Mangrove Forest

Diet: Flowers, Nectar, Fruit

Social Grouping: Small groups of one male and several females and their young, but may congregate in colonies of 10,000-20,000 animals

Reproduction: Gestation period 180 days.  Births primarily occur between March and April, with seasonality varying somewhat across the range.  Usually give birth to single offspring, born fully-furred, with eyes open, and already 1/3 the size of the mother.  Young bats are nursed with two nipples near the armpits, cradled by the mother with her wings.  Males do not assist with rearing the young.  The young carried by the mother for the first few days, then left at the roost while the mother goes to forage.  Young are weaned at 2-3 months old

Lifespan: 15 Years (Wild), 30 Years (Zoo)

      Conservation Status: IUCN Near Threatened, CITES Appendix II

• One of the world’s largest (possibly the largest) living bat species.  Head-to-body length 27-32 centimeters.  Wingspan of 1.5 meters, forearm length 18-22 centimeters, body mass 0.6-1.1 kilograms.  Long, pointed ears and dog- or fox-like face and head.   Wings are short, rounded on the tips, allowing them to fly slowly, but with great maneuverability.  Males are slightly larger than the females
• The head and upper body in adults are covered with a dark mantle, color ranging from red to black, turning gold or orange in the males during the breeding season.  Remainder of fur is brown or black with a scattering of white hairs.  Juveniles are almost uniformly dull gray-brown.  Fur is longest on the mantle.  Males tend to have thicker, stiffer fur than females, as well as neck tufts.  Wing membranes are only haired near the body
• May fly up to 50 kilometers in a single night while foraging.  Circle trees in the air before landing – usually land on the branch tips in an upright position, then drop into an upside-down position to feed.  They do not echolocate, instead relying on sight and smell to find fruit.  
• Capable of eating half of their body weight daily.  Likely to be important pollinators and seed-dispersers for many trees within their range, as they are one of the few frugivores large enough and mobile enough to transport seeds and pollen considerable distances throughout the forest
• May drink seawater to obtain salt, other minerals absent from their very sugary diets
• Capable swimmers, using their wings as flippers; sometimes seen crossing rivers.  May fly across short spans of ocean to feed on nearby islands.  
• Spend much of the day hanging upside down from branches (especially from emergent trees) with its wings wrapped around the body, often restless until mid-morning.  If the bat becomes too warm, it will unwrap itself and fan itself using its wings    
• A natural reservoir of the Nipah virus, which has crossed over into (potentially fatal) humans and pigs.  Captives maintained in research labs have tested negative for the antibodies against the virus for several months before testing positive again, suggesting that the virus can maintain itself in flying foxes after periods of remission
• Genus name Pteropus translates to “wing foot.”  Species name is in reference to vampires, though this species does not feed on blood
• Seven subspecies recognized, sometimes each listed as a separate species;  the most threatened is P. v. lanensis, of the Philippines
• Primary threat is loss of habitat due to deforestation.  Hunted for bushmeat in parts of their range, such as Peninsular Malaysia, unlikely to be sustainable (hunting has more the doubled in recent years).  Some cultures believe that their meat has curative or medicinal properties, can treat asthma.  Most effective protection strategy so far appears to be protecting colonies on small, easy-to-monitor islands. Also persecuted by farmers who consider them agricultural pests.  Some farmers may use flapping or whirring devices, bright lights to discourage them from feeding on their crops