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© Sedgwick County Zoo, credit: Brent Ward

Giant Indian Fruit Bat

Pteropus giganteus

Physical Characteristics

  • These large bats have dark brown bodies with black wings. The males have a light yellow color on the back of the neck and shoulders. They have prominent claws (thumbs) used for moving through the branches.
  • Size of average adult
    • length: 9 inches
    • wing span: 4 feet
    • weight: 1.25 - 2.25 pounds
  • Approximate life span is 20 years in captivity.

Diet

  • Wild: ripe fruit including mangoes, bananas, papayas and figs

Behavior

  • Roost in trees in colonies that may range from 100 to several thousand bats
  • Have a vertical hierarchy of males based on size and strength
  • Roost in the day; leave around dusk to fly to trees with ripe fruit
  • Reproduction
    • breeding season: July to October
    • gestation: 140 - 150 days
    • usually a single pup that is carried by the mother in flight for 6 -7 weeks, begin to fly by 11 weeks, but not weaned until 5 months

Environmental/Global

  • Habitat: forests and swamps with a large body of water nearby
  • Distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar
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