Lexi Webster
Flying foxes, also known as fruit bats, are the only flying mammals and can be found in northern and eastern Australia. They are nomadic, travelling long distances in search of food. They are extremely mobile and can fly up to 50km a night to feed on pollen, nectar and fruit. There are four species of flying foxes in Australia: the Grey-headed Flying-fox, the Little Red Flying-fox, the Spectacled Flying-fox, and the Black Flying-fox. Grey-headed Flying-foxes are the largest of the four species and can be found in the eastern regions of the Australian continent, mostly within 200km of the coast. Little Red Flying-foxes can be found in coastal regions, and Black Flying-foxes can be found in northern and eastern Australia. Spectacled Flying-foxes are typically found north of Ingham in Queensland.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Species | Grey-headed Flying-fox, Little Red Flying-fox, Black Flying-fox, Spectacled Flying-fox |
| Habitat | Coastal regions, eastern, northern and western Australia, Eucalypt forests, mangroves, rainforests, woodlands, near cities |
| Diet | Fruit, blossoms, nectar, pollen, seeds |
| Behaviour | Nocturnal, nomadic, social, vocal, use eyesight and smell to navigate |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable, rare, threatened, endangered |
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What You'll Learn
- Grey-headed Flying-foxes: found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia
- Little Red Flying-foxes: found in Ingham, coastal regions, and inland
- Black Flying-foxes: found in Northern and Eastern Australia
- Spectacled Flying-foxes: found in Queensland
- Flying-foxes in Victoria: colonies or roost sites are common
Grey-headed Flying-foxes: found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia
Grey-headed Flying-foxes are endemic to the forests of south-eastern Australia. They are found from mid-Queensland to southern Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales. They are the largest of Australia's Flying-foxes, weighing up to 1 kilogram and with a wingspan of up to 1 metre. They have grey fur, black wings, and an orange ruff around their necks. Grey-headed Flying-foxes are nomadic, travelling vast distances of up to 50 kilometres from their camps in search of food. They feed at night on the blossoms, nectar, pollen, and fruit of various plant species, including eucalypt blossoms, paperbarks, grevilleas, and banksias. They are important pollinators and seed dispersers, playing a vital role in maintaining healthy forests.
Grey-headed Flying-foxes are social creatures, living in large camps or colonies, sometimes shared with other Flying-fox species. They are vocal animals, using a variety of unique calls to communicate with each other. Autumn is their mating season, during which males become territorial to attract mates. Grey-headed Flying-foxes are listed as vulnerable, facing threats such as habitat loss and culling in orchards. Conservation efforts are in place to protect and monitor their populations, particularly in Victoria and New South Wales.
In Victoria, Grey-headed Flying-foxes have at least two permanent camps and also form seasonal roosting camps as they disperse across the state. The Yarra Bend colony in Victoria is a focus of conservation efforts, with support from groups like Friends of Bats & Bushcare Inc. Victoria also has a Flying-fox map where sightings can be reported to improve understanding of their distribution.
In New South Wales, the Nature Conservation Council has implemented a Flying-foxes Policy to assist in the conservation of Flying-foxes through habitat protection, public education, and management measures. There are known colonies in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and along the east coast of Australia.
Grey-headed Flying-foxes are an iconic part of Australia's wildlife, but they face vulnerabilities due to human activities and climate change. Conservation efforts aim to protect these unique mammals and ensure their survival for future generations.
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Little Red Flying-foxes: found in Ingham, coastal regions, and inland
Little Red Flying-foxes, scientifically known as Pteropus scapulatus, are the most widespread species of megabat in Australia. They are found in coastal regions and further inland, flying to tropical and temperate regions that provide them with an annual source of nectar. Their range extends across northern and eastern Australia, including Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. They are highly nomadic, setting up camps wherever their favourite flowers and fruits are in season.
Little Red Flying-foxes play a crucial role in the pollination and seed dispersal of native flora within Australia. They are primarily nectarivores, feeding on the nectar and pollen of Eucalyptus and Corymbia blossoms, and are responsible for much of the pollination of these plant species. They also contribute to the pollination of plants important for humans, such as trees used for lumber, food, and medicine.
These flying foxes are medium-sized bats with an average wingspan of 0.9 to 1.2 meters for males and a weight of around 450-550 grams. They are distinguished from other bats in Australia by the absence of a tail. The fur of Little Red Flying-foxes is reddish-brown, with darker fur on the head and lighter fur on the lower legs.
Little Red Flying-fox camps can be quite large, with some colonies consisting of over 100,000 individuals. These camps are often found near streams in riparian habitats, such as freshwater/saltwater mangroves, bamboo, and closed forests. The selection of congregation sites may be influenced by seasonal variations and factors such as human hunting and climatic fluctuations.
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Black Flying-foxes: found in Northern and Eastern Australia
Black Flying-foxes (Pteropus alecto) are found in Northern and Eastern Australia. They are nomadic mammals that travel along the east coast of Australia, primarily along the eastern coastal plain. They are the largest species of flying fox in Australia and can fly at speeds of 35-40 kilometres per hour. They may travel over 50 kilometres from their camp to a feeding area.
Black Flying-foxes are similar in size to Grey-headed Flying-foxes but have short black fur across their bodies and heads. They are found in tropical and subtropical forests and woodlands. They share their camps with other flying-fox species.
Black Flying-foxes breed at different times from Grey-headed and Little Red Flying-foxes. Mating occurs in autumn, and the female gives birth in late winter or spring when food is abundant. They gather in large camps during spring and summer when their young are born. The young are carried by their mothers until they are about four weeks old, after which they are left at the roost while their mothers forage at night.
Black Flying-foxes are extremely mobile and can travel long distances. They are known to compete with Grey-headed Flying-foxes for resources. They are important for the pollination of many different forest types, especially Myrtaceae species like eucalypts and melaleucas. They are also known to feed on the fruit, flowers, and pollens of a wide range of plant species, including members of the genus Ficus.
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Spectacled Flying-foxes: found in Queensland
Flying foxes, also known as fruit bats, are nomadic mammals from the Pteropididae (fruit bat) family. They are the only flying mammals in the bat family, Chiroptera. They have large eyes with day and night vision and pointed ears, giving them a fox-like appearance.
Spectacled flying foxes, also known as spectacled fruit bats, are one of the four Australian mainland flying fox species. They are found in the north-eastern regions of Queensland, Australia, and are also located in New Guinea and on offshore islands. They are forest dwellers and their preferred habitat is the rainforest, particularly the middle and upper canopy in full sun. They can also be found in mangroves, paperbark, and eucalypt forests. They are listed as endangered and are important dispersers of rainforest plant species. They are territorial and aggressive at rich food sources.
Spectacled flying foxes have distinctive straw-coloured fur around their eyes, giving them their name. They weigh between 500-1000 grams, with a head-body length of 220-240mm. They can live up to 12-15 years in the wild and over 30 years in captivity. They are polygamous, similar to the grey-headed flying fox, and females are capable of breeding at one year of age.
Spectacled flying foxes are nomadic and can travel up to 40km from their camp to feed, with an average of 7km between feeding sites. They only forage at night and are great pollinators, dispersing seeds of at least 26 species of rainforest canopy trees. They are known to feed on blossoms, nectar, and pollen, and are important for maintaining healthy forests.
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Flying-foxes in Victoria: colonies or roost sites are common
Victoria is home to the Grey-headed Flying-fox, one of the world's largest flying mammals. They are a threatened species and important for the environment. They are highly nomadic and can move vast distances across eastern Australia, depending on where their food is. They are most active at night, feeding on flowers (pollen and nectar) and fruit from over 100 species of native trees, as well as introduced species. They have excellent eyesight and a highly developed sense of smell, which they use to find food at night.
Victoria supports many flying-fox camps, also called colonies or roost sites. These camps can be used permanently, seasonally, or just sometimes. The number of flying-foxes in camps can change a lot, depending on the time of year and how much food is available around the camps. Grey-headed Flying-foxes like to roost together in large camps or colonies. They often choose sites with tall trees close to water, but not always. While they sometimes roost in native vegetation such as streamside trees, rainforests, or mangroves, they also frequent urban areas, such as town parks or botanic gardens.
The Yarra Bend camp in Wurundjeri Country is a nationally important site, regularly supporting more than 10,000 Grey-headed Flying-foxes, with numbers exceeding 30,000 during the summer. The Doveton camp in southeast Melbourne and the Werribee South camp in southwest Melbourne have also been home to semi-permanent colonies of Grey-headed Flying-foxes.
Little Red Flying-foxes, the smallest species, sometimes visit flying-fox camps in Victoria, especially in northern Victoria. They are even more nomadic than Grey-headed Flying-foxes, venturing across eastern, northern, and Western Australia in search of nectar-producing trees. They can gather in extremely large numbers, with some camps supporting over one million animals when nectar is abundant.
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Frequently asked questions
The Grey-headed Flying-fox is native to the south-eastern forested areas of Australia, mostly within 200 kilometres of the coast. They can be found from Bundaberg in Queensland to Geelong in Victoria, with outlying colonies in Ingham, Finch Hatton, and Adelaide. They are also found in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
The Little Red Flying-fox is found around the coastal regions of Australia and is known to fly further inland than other species. They can be found in Ingham, the only town in Australia where they share space with Black Flying-foxes.
Black Flying-foxes are found in Northern and Eastern Australia. They are found in Ingham and share camps with other flying-fox species.
Spectacled Flying-foxes are typically found north of Ingham in Queensland. They are listed as endangered.
