Fun Golden Crowned Flying Fox Facts For Kids

Some mammals walk on two feet, some on four, some swim in the sea and some are also capable of flying. The infamous flying mammals are none other than bats. These nocturnal beings are somewhat notorious and are associated with the spread of a variety of deadly diseases such as rabies and respiratory diseases like SARSCOVs and MERS which resulted in outbreaks twice in the 21st century!  In this fact file, we will discuss an endangered species of the golden capped fruit bat in the world, namely the giant golden crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) who have the honor of being the largest bat species in the world. These megabats, which are known as giant golden crowned flying bars, are native to the Philippines and have three recognized species, one of which is considered extinct. Their survival is threatened due to a variety of reasons including hunting, deforestation, and increased tourist interference in their natural habitat. These giant golden crowned flying bats or flying fox species were first described in 1831 by a German naturalist and physician Johann Friedrich Gustav von Eschscholtz. This largest bat species in the world is scientifically known as Acerodon jubatus.

This rare bat species is also called the golden capped fruit bat and is the largest bat in the world. Here are some of the most interesting facts about the giant golden crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus). Afterwards, do have a look at our other articles on Seminole bat and fruit bat as well.
 

What type of animal is a golden crowned flying fox?

The iant golden crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) is a megabat endemic to the Philippines. These giant golden crowned flying bats are amongst the endangered species of the Pteropodidae family. Giant golden crowned flying bats are nocturnal beings that are mostly active at night and are from the largest known species of bat in the world. Normally, these bats keep their wings closely wrapped around their body. These animals belong to genus Acedron.

What class of animal does a golden crowned flying fox belong to?

The giant golden crowned flying fox is a bat, a mammal in the phylum Chordata in kingdom Animalia. Further, giant golden crowned flying fox bats belong to the family Pteropodidae, the family of megabats, and the order Chiroptera, the order of flying mammals that are bats. The population of this bat species is generally found living on fig trees in the Philippines.

How many golden crowned flying fox are there in the world?

These rare giant golden crowned flying bats are in immense danger. A sharp decline in their population across their habitat is seen and around 10,000-20,000 giant golden crowned flying foxes are left in the world. A number of steps have been taken by the authorities in charge to safeguard their existence across their habitat. These flying foxes share their roosts with various flying fox species.

Where does a golden crowned flying fox live?

Acerodon jubatus or the giant golden crowned flying fox is exclusively found in the Philippines. One of the species of these fruit eating capped giant golden crowned flying bats was considered extinct in these regions but this is not the case anymore. Instead, giant golden crowned flying bats are endangered and are required to be protected.

What is a golden crowned flying fox's habitat?

Giant golden crowned flying bats prefer subtropical and tropical forests to live in. Giant golden crowned flying bats are forest dwellers and require rain forests, mangroves, and other similar shady regions to live in. These large flying animals hang themselves upside down from the tree.

Who do golden crowned flying foxes live with?

The giant golden crowned flying fox, just like any other bat, prefers living in colonies in its natural habitat. These colonies can sometimes have hundreds to millions of members! The reason for this is that living in colonies can be a useful protection against predators.

How long does a golden crowned flying fox live?

There has not been much research conducted yet to give a proper idea of a giant golden crowned flying bats' life expectancy but according to records, individuals that live in captivity can survive up to 23 years or more and the ones in the wild forest may only live up to 15 years.  

How do they reproduce?

There is not much data on the reproduction of these giant golden crowned flying foxes but what is understood is that a female may give birth to one pup in the forest every other year. By the end of the second year, female giant golden crowned flying foxes reache reproduction maturity. On the Negros island in the Philippines, the birth time is between April to May and in Maripipi it is between May and June.

What is their conservation status?

These giant golden crowned flying foxes are an Endangered species according to the IUCN Red List and their populations are heavily protected. Between 1986 and 2016, there has been a 50% decline in their population number and the main reason behind this is hunting for bushmeat and the second being deforestation. Bat Conservation International in 2013 listed them in the list of 35 species of top conservation priority in the world. Reasons behind a decline in their population include hunting by local communities for body parts. Concerted efforts are required to protect the roosting sites.

What do golden crowned flying foxes look like?

The golden crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) is a mammal which suggests this megabat has an anatomy similar to general mammalian anatomy with a few modifications.  These giant golden crowned flying foxes or mammals aresimilar in appearance to the pteropus species. Both jaws have two sets of teeth with the dental formula 2.1.3.2/2.1.3.3 that leads to a total of 34 teeth in both jaws. It is one of the heaviest bat species with a weight of 3.1 lb (1.4 kg) on average. Giant golden crowned flying foxes have one of the longest forearms with the exoskeleton acting like wings. These animals are dimorphic and males are slightly larger than females in terms of cranial and external measurements.

* Please note that this is an image of a megabat.  If you have an image of a golden crowned flying fox please let us know at [email protected]

How cute are they?

Bats are cute to some and ugly to others. A person that is a zoologist with his own perception may find them cute. On the other hand, an average individual may think that this bat from the Philippines is scary mostly because this megabat hangs upside down and is nocturnal. Also, how these animals are represented in society via television and folktales doesn't help with their cute factor.

How do they communicate?

A golden crowned flying fox, just like any other bat, uses the phenomena of echolocation. This bat species uses really high-frequency sounds and projects them and receives them as echoes. This helps them in finding the location, direction, and distance of an object.

How big is a golden crowned flying fox ?

The giant golden crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) is one of the largest giant golden crowned flying foxes found on earth today. The forearm of an average adult golden crowned flying fox may measure around 8.5 in (21.5 cm) in length. The wingspan of a giant golden crowned flying fox measures around 4.9-5.6 ft (1.5 to 1.7 m) in length. Compared to the wingspan, the size of the body is quite small.

How fast can a golden crowned flying fox run?

Golden crowned flying fox bats are powerful fliers. They can fly at maximum speeds reaching around 84 mph (135 kph).

How much does a golden crowned flying fox weigh?

Being really big-sized bats means that this bat species is heavy in terms of weight too, however their size and weight don’t interfere with their flying speed. On average, a golden crowned flying fox weighs around 3.2-3.5 lb (1.4-1.5 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Male and female golden crowned flying foxes do have separate names but are referred to by the same names. They are known as males and females respectively.

What would you call a baby golden crowned flying fox ?

A baby golden crowned flying fox is referred to as a pup. The pups like any other young mammal feed on their mother bats’ breast milk and not on insects.

What do they eat?

A golden crowned flying fox is frugivorous and feeds on a variety of fruits and seeds found in its habitat. These megabats particularly feed on the fruiting fig and its seeds and especially the species Ficus variegata.

Are they dangerous?

These rare megabats are not dangerous to humans in terms of predatory behavior but because these roosting animals are host to a variety of parasites and diseases, they are dangerous for humans. There is a culture involving feeding on these mammals but that can be sometimes dangerous since these foxes with wings are the reason for the interspecies transfer of a variety of diseases.

Would they make a good pet?

They are wild beings and are very complicated animals with a huge wingspan. An average individual may not be able to look after them even if he tried to. They do live longer in captivity under expert supervision and care.

Did you know...

Giant golden crowned flying fox bats are hosts to a variety of ectoparasites including cyclopodia horsfieldi which is a fly. In many investigations, these roosting animals have also been considered as a source of a variety of emerging diseases such as SARSCOV-1 and 2 and ebolavirus to name some.

These large bats are also called the flying foxes and golden capped fruit bats. They prefer flying at night. In one night, they can travel as far as 25 mi (40.2 km) to look for food.

The population of the flying fox is primarily limited to forests in the Philippines.

The kitti's hog-nosed bat is the smallest species of bat found in the wild. It is in fact the smallest known mammal in the world.

How tall is the giant golden crowned flying fox?

It is observed and noted that a flying fox extends to a height of up to 67 in (170 cm).

Why do bats hang upside down?

This is an adaptation acquired by bats. They are able to lock themselves on the branches with their hindlimbs and use their forelimbs and mouth to catch their prey which includes beetles, moths, and mosquitoes.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these military macaw facts and sanderling facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable golden crowned flying fox coloring pages.