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| Flying fox | |
|---|---|
| A large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Pteropodidae |
| Subfamily: | Pteropodinae |
| Genus: | Pteropus Brisson, 1762 |
| Type species | |
| Vespertilio niger Kerr, 1792 | |
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| Worldwide distribution of flying foxes | |
Pteropus is a genus of large megabats. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes. They live in the tropics and subtropics of Asia: Australia, the Indian subcontinent, East Africa, and some oceanic islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
There are at least 60 living species in the genus.Flying foxes eat fruit and other plant matter, and occasionally insects as well. They find food with their keen sense of smell. Most, but not all, are nocturnal. They navigate with keen eyesight, as they cannot echolocate. They have long lives and low birth rates. Females of most species have only one offspring each year. This slow birth rate makes their populations vulnerable in present-day circumstances.
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