Large flying fox

"Greater flying fox" redirects here. For the species from New Guinea and nearby islands, see great flying fox.

Large flying fox
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Pteropus
Species:
P. vampyrus
Binomial name
Pteropus vampyrus
Large flying fox range
Synonyms
  • Vespertilio vampyrus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Pteropus giganteus (Brünnich, 1825)

The large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus, formerly Pteropus giganteus), also known as the greater flying fox, Malayan flying fox, Malaysian flying fox, large fruit bat, kalang, or kalong, is a southeast Asian species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae.[3] Despite its scientific name, it feeds exclusively on fruits, nectar, and flowers, like the other flying foxes of the genus Pteropus. It is noted for being one of the largest bats.[4] As with nearly all other Old World fruit bats, it lacks the ability to echolocate but compensates for it with well-developed eyesight.[5]

  1. ^ Mildenstein, T.; Abdul Aziz, S.; Paguntalan, L.; Jakosalem, P.G.; Mohd-Azlan, J.; Tagtag, A.; Bansa, L.; Reintar, A.R.; Struebig, M.; Fredriksson, G.; Lee, B.; Thong, V.D.; Sheherazade. (2022). "Pteropus vampyrus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T18766A22088824. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema naturæ per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I (in Latin) (10th ed.). Holmiæ: Laurentius Salvius. p. 31. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference MSW3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kunz2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Matti Airas. "Echolocation in bats" (PDF). HUT, Laboratory of Acoustics and Audio Signal Processing. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.