Though flying fox megabats live in Asia, Africa, and Australia, the giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) is found exclusively in the Philippines. The largest specimen of this fruit-eating megabat species has been recorded as having a wingspan of five feet and six inches, with a rather slight bodyweight of around 2.6 pounds.
Though its wingspan is wide, this bat’s body is small. Varying between seven and 11.4 inches, these seemingly terrifying creatures don’t even exceed one foot in terms of length.
Clearly, the world’s biggest bats didn’t evolve to snatch medium-sized animals off the ground. So what do they eat?
The herbivorous creature relies mainly on fruits and typically forages at dusk for anything from figs to ficus leaves, eating around one third its body weight every night. During the day, it slumbers and roosts amidst large clumps of its peers in the treetops.
While its bloodless diet may come as a shock, only three out of 1,300 bat species are known to feast on blood.
Additionally, these bats are quite intelligent, comparable to domestic dogs. In one study, flying foxes were trained to pull a lever to get food, which they were then able to remember some three and a half years later.
Unlike many other bats, however, giant golden-crowned flying foxes don’t rely on echolocation to get around. These creatures use their sense of sight and smell to swoop around the skies remarkably well. Furthermore, they’re actually quite beneficial for the environment at large.
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