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Scientific Name: |
Pteropus giganteus
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Range: |
India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar
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Habitat: |
Tropical and subtropical forests and swamps
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Natural Diet: |
Variety of ripe fruit, flowers, and nectar
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Zoo Diet: |
Fruit, vegetables, and canned primate diet
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Physical
Characteristics:
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Flying foxes have coarse brown-reddish fur. Their length is about nine inches; they weigh 2.5-3 pounds. Their head resembles a fox, hence the name “flying fox.” Their wingspan may be up to four or five feet.
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Behavior: |
Flying foxes roost during the day in large groups up in the trees. When they roost, they hang by their feet. They spend most of the day sleeping, with their wings wrapped around themselves. Flying foxes feed at night.
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Reproduction: |
A single young is born after a gestation period of 140-150 days. It clings to its mother for about two months; by then it is nearly full size.
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Notes:
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There are 67 species of flying foxes, and the Indian Flying Fox is one of the largest. Flying foxes do not use echolocation; only the smaller bats, who mainly eat insects, use it. Indian flying foxes can live up to 30 years.
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