The Indian flying fox, also known as the greater Indian fruit bat (Pteropus medius), is a flying fox native to the Indian subcontinent and one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest as a disease vector, because it can transmit several viruses to humans. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruit such as mangoes and bananas, and on nectar. It is often regarded as vermin because of its destructive tendencies toward fruit farms, though the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impact of its fruit consumption. The Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck described it in 1825, and the IUCN lists it as near threatened.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) ThreatsHuman Intrusions and Disturbance 1 Relationship to PeopleAgricultural or Structural Pest 1 Relationship to People Relationship to PeopleUsed in Traditional Medicine 1 Relationship to People Living or Extinct Conservation Status Activity Pattern Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, BangladeshQuote, Distribution, Bangladesh
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, BhutanQuote, Distribution, Bhutan
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, IndiaQuote, Distribution, India
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, MaldivesQuote, Distribution, Maldives
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, MyanmarQuote, Distribution, Myanmar
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, NepalQuote, Distribution, Nepal
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, PakistanQuote, Distribution, Pakistan
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)Distribution, Sri LankaQuote, Distribution, Sri Lanka
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Sources
1. Indian flying fox (Wikipedia)
Distribution, Bangladesh
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Distribution, Myanmar
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Distribution, Nepal
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Distribution, Sri Lanka
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Distribution, India
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Distribution, Pakistan
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Distribution, Maldives
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Distribution, Bhutan
The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Diet
It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar.
Diet, nectar
The Indian flying fox is frugivorous or nectarivorous: it eats fruits and blossoms, and it drinks nectar from flowers.
Article text, behaviour
It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar.
Article text, threats
Hunting may be sustainable, though, with some researchers positing that habitat loss and roost disturbance are much more damaging to its populations.
Article text, ecology
This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of its fruit consumption.
Article text, disease
Indian flying foxes in India and Bangladesh have tested positive for Nipah virus, a type of henipavirus.
Article text, human interaction
To some, the Indian flying fox is vermin because they believe that it "poaches" ripe fruit from orchards.
Article text, human use
In Pakistan and India, Indian flying foxes are more likely to be killed for medicine than for bushmeat even though their medicinal methods are unrealistic.
Article text, habitat
This tendency to support a generalist frugivorous diet through habitat selection also leads it to commonly roost in highly fragmented forests, where the variety of plant species allows it to better utilize its feeding habits.
Child Taxon Of: Pteropodidae, Lead
The Indian flying fox (Pteropus medius), also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox native to the Indian subcontinent.
In Group: Bats (Chiroptera), Lead
The Indian flying fox (Pteropus medius), also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox native to the Indian subcontinent.
View the Source2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): GBIF species 5787518: species profile of Pteropus medius
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)speciesProfilesQuote, speciesProfiles
"extinct": false
3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): GBIF species 5787518: IUCN Red List category of Pteropus medius
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)iucnRedListCategoryQuote, iucnRedListCategory
"category": "NEAR_THREATENED"
4. AnAge (Human Ageing Genomic Resources): AnAge entry for Pteropus giganteus
AnAge (Human Ageing Genomic Resources)Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits: Maximum longevityQuote, Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits: Maximum longevity
Maximum longevity 44 years (captivity)
EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014): EltonTraits 1.0 mammal foraging attributes (MamFuncDat)
EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)MamFuncDat.txt, row Pteropus giganteus (Activity-Nocturnal, Activity-Crepuscular, Activity-Diurnal columns)Quote, MamFuncDat.txt, row Pteropus giganteus (Activity-Nocturnal, Activity-Crepuscular, Activity-Diurnal columns)
3747 Pteropus giganteus Pteropodidae 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Ref_1 ABC Ar A 1 0 0 Ref_1 ABC 804.17 Ref_117 1
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