The Giant Golden Crowned Flying Fox Didn’t Come By Such A Name For No Reason…
There is a “megabat” native to the Phillipines with a wingspan that’s the size of a human. Known as giant golden crowned flying fox, it’s a gorgeous creature if you’re not scared of such things. It is, after all, the largest bat in the world, and that’s worthy of some recognition.
Sadly, the idea of human-sized flying foxes is super scary for some people. The truth, however, is that pictures like this have been taken out of context.
Photographed from a certain angle, this giant golden crown flying fox appears to basically be a human dressed up like a bat. However, such is not the case, because the photo was taken at an angle which makes the golden flying fox appear much larger than it actually is.
How Big Do They Get?
The giant golden crowned flying fox size is amazing and almost unbelievable. It becomes even more so when you consider that the fox itself weighs only around 2.6 pounds.
This enormous species of bat is the largest in the world. It has a wingspan of around five feet, with the largest recorded wingspan exceeding five feet six inches.
Although the wingspan is impressive (and kind of scary) this bat’s body is actually quite small. The recorded size of most of their bodies is between seven and eleven and a half inches. So basically, these nightmarish animals are barely a foot long.
Is The Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox The World’s Biggest Bat?
Yes, the giant golden-crowned flying fox is the world’s largest bat. There are 79 bat species in the Philippines, and 26 of those are megabats. The giant golden-crowned flying fox is known to live with other large species of bats in harmony.
They do, however, maintain the record as the world’s biggest bat.
Where Do They Live?
These bats live in the Philippines and only in the Philippines. In places where hunting and roost disturbance are commonplace, this megabat heads up into the undisturbed native forest. It will roost on very steep and hard-to-reach plateaus from 0-1,000 metres above sea level.
There are other places however where the laws are more respected around protecting this bat. In places like this, the golden-crowned flying fox can be found in forest patches near humans. You can find them on some resort grounds, where they tend to be very safe, as well as long roads and in public parks.
More Importantly- What Do They Live Off Of??
Here’s a sigh of relief for you: these megabats are very selective eaters. While they do not dine on human flesh… they also don’t even eat other animals! The golden-crowned flying fox only eat fruits and figs.
The flying frugavore actually helps to distribute the seeds of fruits and figs all over the forest. This, as you can imagine, helps contribute to reforestation in the Philippines.
Hopefully they can keep doing so, by the way. They’re hunted by locals for trophy, sale, and meat, which is contributing hugely to declining populations. Further, deforestation in the Philippines has left them with little place to go.
That’s why this bat is on the endangered species list, and why its decline is so detrimental to forests as well as its own population.
Are They Dangerous?
Nah, you’re good. Go pet one.
JK, you likely won’t be able to get close to one. But even if you did, the flying fox probably wouldn’t hurt you unless you attacked it. The golden-crowned flying fox is a generally peaceful beast, happily living in colonies, and eating fruits.
As is the case with many endangered species, humans are often more dangerous than the animal itself.
Related: The tiny Honduran White Bats which are basically the opposite kind of bat from the megabat.
