Wildlifeof Nepal
Indian Flying Fox
Bats
Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda · CC BY 4.0
Pteropus medius
Basic stats
Diet
Ripe fruit, including mangoes, guavas and figs; flower nectar
Habitat
Large colonies roosting on open tree branches, often in towns and temples
Range
Across the Indian subcontinent, including Nepal
Litter size
1–2 pups
Gestation period
140–150 days
Size
Wingspan 1.2–1.5m; body 15.5–22cm
Weight
0.6–1.6kg
The Indian flying fox is India's largest bat and one of the largest in the world, weighing 0.6 to 1.6kg with a wingspan of 1.2 to 1.5m. It has a black back lightly streaked with grey, a pale yellow-brown mantle, a brown head and dark brownish underparts, large eyes, simple ears and no tail. Males are generally larger than females (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is found across the Indian subcontinent, including Nepal. It eats ripe fruit such as mangoes, guavas and figs, and flower nectar, and seeds passing through it help spread many plants. It roosts in large, long-lived colonies on open branches, especially in towns and temples, often occupied all year. Breeding is annual, gestation is 140 to 150 days, and one or two pups are born. Nepal's 2011 list has no matching entry, so no national status is given.
Quick answers
- What does the Indian Flying Fox eat?
- Ripe fruit, including mangoes, guavas and figs; flower nectar
- What habitat does the Indian Flying Fox live in?
- Large colonies roosting on open tree branches, often in towns and temples
- Where is the Indian Flying Fox found?
- Across the Indian subcontinent, including Nepal
- What is the litter size of the Indian Flying Fox?
- 1–2 pups
- How long is the gestation period of the Indian Flying Fox?
- 140–150 days
- How big is the Indian Flying Fox?
- Wingspan 1.2–1.5m; body 15.5–22cm
- How much does the Indian Flying Fox weigh?
- 0.6–1.6kg