Giant golden-crowned flying fox.html |
| | | ca | | | de | | | en | | | es | | | fr | | | it | | | nl | | | no | | | pl | | | pt | | | ru | | | ro | | | fi | | | sv | | | tr | | | vo | | |
| |  |
| Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Acerodon jubatus (Eschscholtz, 1831) |
The Giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), also known as the Golden-capped fruit bat, is a rare fruit bat and the largest known bat in the world. The species is endangered and is currently facing the possibility of extinction due to poachers and food hunters. They can be found only in the Philippines, where they live in the caves and rainforests of Maitum, Sarangani.
This nocturnal flying mammal has a wing span of at least 1.5 m (5 ft) and weighs approximately 1.2 kg (3 lbs). It is active at night and can fly long distances up to 40 kilometers while hunting for food, eating a variety of fruits. Its favorite food is the ripe fig. Called the "silent planter", it contributes greatly to forest regeneration, given its diet of fruit and seeds.1
The local government of Maitum, Sarangani in the Philippines has organized a campaign to save this rare species from extinction. They once roosted by the thousands before their decline due to destruction of habitat and hunting.