Flying Fox

Flying Fox

The Black Flying Fox is among the biggest of bats.  It is indeed a bat, not a fox.  It has a long snout that makes it look rather fox-like.  Its big pointy ears also look fox-like.  They don't use echo location but they ARE active at night.  They eat nectar, fruit, and pollen.   In their search for their vegetarian diet they range up to 50 km or 30 miles from home.  This makes them excellent seed dispersers when they have eaten fruit . . . seeds and all.   

They are black and brown or maybe blackish brown over the majority of their body.  The nape of the neck is more of a lighter reddish-brown color.   They live in costal areas of Australia.  Their wingspan can exceed 3 feet or about a meter.  They are great tourist attractions because they roost during the day and they quarrel and squabble frequently.  

The two other species of Flying Foxes are the Gray-headded Flying Fox. . . and. . . 

the Spectacled Flying Fox.  The Spectacled Flying Fox has a wingspan of 1.2 meters or 4 feet.  .  .  making it the largest in Australia.  There is a larger species in Asia over to the Phillipines

The Gray-headed Flying Fox is the most common species of bats that is seen frequently by Man.  

NOTE:  This is a drawing of two Black Flying Foxes.  It is early evening and one of the bats is leaving the roost to go looking for food.  A group of Flying Foxes is called a "camp."  They often roost in Eucalyptus trees.  The Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney has a camp of over 20,000 bats or Gray-headed Flying Foxes during the summer.

Remember that new drawings like this one are at the bottom of the lists.  The lists are found under the buttons up top.  These drawings are found under the buttons:  All Printables . . . and  . . . Animals.