The Malay flying fox is the largest bat in the world, with a body length of up to 25 cm and a width of 183 cm after its two wings are extended. The Malay fox bat is mostly gregarious, thousands of them live together, bats are mostly nocturnal, and the Malay fox bat does not eat meat, only fruit, but is expected to disappear after 81 years.
First, the world's largest bat, the Malay giant fox bat
The Malay flying fox is the largest bat in the world and one of the largest animals in the world. The body length is 20-25 cm, the weight is about 600-1100 g, and the wingspan is up to 183 cm. Has a pair of large eyes, a long canine-like snout and long, pointed ears. The malay flying fox has long lower body hairs ranging from black to tan in color, and the hairs on the back are shorter and harder, especially in large males, ranging in color from mahogany red to orange and black.
The golden scarf-like fur of the Malay giant fox bat, with a wingspan of up to 183 cm long, is a feature that distinguishes the Malay giant fox bat from other members of the fox bat family. No other bat has a tail. Inhabiting fruit-rich forest areas, it is a nocturnal animal that whenever night falls, it comes out of its nest in search of food, and the longest-lived bat is an Indian fox bat.
The Malay giant fox bat inhabits groups ranging from a few to thousands anywhere. Entering a nearby habitat at sunset allows you to fly silently to the predation zone, up to 50 km away. The Malay flying fox usually circles a fruit tree before landing and noisily forms feeding groups, forming several bats with more than 50 bats. Unlike many other bats, which use echo localization for navigation, the Malay giant fox bat relies on the way of sight to find their home at night.
Second, the Malay fox bat eats only fruit
The Malay fox bat is a nocturnal animal, and whenever night falls, it comes out of its nest in search of food. During the day, long, curved claws are used to hook branches, eaves, stone crevices or cave walls, etc., the pectoral muscles are very developed, the sternum has a keel protrusion, and the collarbone is also very developed, which are related to their special way of moving. Hanging upside down to sleep or rest, leaning against the special structure of the tendons, the pliers are held very tightly, and even when they die, they are still hanging like this.
Known as the "fruit bat", the Malay fox bat usually feeds on the fruits of rambutan, fig and lanza fruit trees, as well as nectar and the fruit of the flower coconut and durian trees, as opposed to the bloodthirsty pig-faced bat. The Malay fox bat has a long tongue that enables them to lick nectar without damaging the flowers. When it feeds from the flowers, pollen may stick to its fur, causing it to be carried to another plant for pollen transmission, so the Malay fox bat is an important pollinator for many forest plants.
The malay giant fox bat can be legally hunted almost everywhere in Malaysia, but only sarawak and Borneo have banned the activity, and the situation of protecting the Malay giant fox bat is not optimistic. Data analysis shows that the actual number of Malay foxbats hunted cannot be estimated, and the most optimistic estimate is 500,000. Continuing at this rate, the species will disappear from the earth in up to 81 years.