Giant Golden Crowned Flying Fox

Giant Golden Crowned Flying Fox "AKA" Golden Capped Fruit Bat

Giant Golden Crowned Flying Fox "AKA" Golden Capped Fruit Bat. Rare mega bat & one of the largest in the world. The wings of this bat end up being 5 ft wide when fully displayed & weigh 2.5lbs. The only home for these rare bats is in the Philippines where they are considered an endangered species & on the verge of extinction.
The giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), also known as the golden-capped fruit bat, is a rare megabat and one of the largest bats in the world. The species is endangered and is currently facing the possibility of extinction because of poaching and forest destruction. It is endemic to forests in the Philippines.

Description

The giant golden-crowned flying fox gets its species name from the golden fur around the head, in sharp contrast to the black body. Like all other fruit bats, they have no tail. They are among the largest bats, with a wingspan of 1.5–1.7 m (4 ft 10 in–5 ft 7 in) and weighing 0.7–1.2 kg (1.5–2.6 lb). The only other bats with comparable measurements are a few species of Pteropus.

Range

Recent surveys have found A. jubatus roosting with P. vampyrus on the islands of Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros and Polillo.

The giant golden-crowned flying fox is confined to the forests of the Philippines, where it occurs mostly at elevations from sea level to 1,100 m (3,600 ft). It prefers uninhabited areas. A 2005 study found none in inhabited areas. The same study also revealed that these bats use river corridors more than originally thought, because the fig trees located near rivers are the bats' main source of food. They do like to be close to agricultural fields but only in undisturbed forest areas.

In another study it was shown that this species is a forest obligate species, staying in the forest a majority of the time. Since this is a forest obligate species, conservation will require the preservation of forest areas. Human encroachment on the bat's habitat in forest and lowland areas is a major factor in the species endangered conservation status.

(Eschscholtz, 1831)
Giant golden-crowned flying fox range (green — extant, orange — possibly extirpated, black — extirpated)

Behavior

The giant golden-crowned flying fox is primarily nocturnal, and can travel at least 40 km (25 mi) in one night searching for food. This bat is a pollinator and seed disperser for many fruit trees in the Philippines. It uses water for grooming.

Diet

They eat primarily figs, though will take other fruit if figs are unavailable. They have been reported to eat cultivated fruit, but this is relatively rare. Other fruits that may be eaten include: puhutan, lamio, tangisang, bayawak, bankal and strangler figs. Known as "The Silent Planter", they release seeds in their droppings, often while flying. This helps maintain the Philippine rainforest.

Colonies

When fruit bats were abundant in the Philippines, the giant golden-crowned flying fox and the large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) would make colonies, reportedly numbering over 150,000 individuals. It is this roosting behavior that made them so easy to hunt, but also helps them keep warm and avoid natural predators.