Wednesday 20 November 2013

Spectacled Flying Foxes

The Spectacled Flying Fox
Pteropus conspicillatus



To drink, these flying foxes skim over pools of water, but due to this they are sometimes snapped up by hungry crocodiles. 


Looks:
The spectacled flying fox is a large nocturnal bat, all black with golden fur around its eyes and a fluffy chestnut-coloured chest. It has great eyesight and no need for echolocation, as with all fruit bats.

Habitat:
These bats choose to make their homes mostly in australian rainforests, setting up camp in trees and other thick vegetation.

Feeding:
Spectacled flying foxes feed on fruit, seeds, pollen and nectar.

Breeding:
The mating season occurs between March and May. Babies bats are born to the females in October and early December—usually females give birth to one pup every year.


The spectacled flying fox’s predators include owls such as the rufus owl, and the paralysis tick, which may be picked up from the ground when the bat flies low.