Indian flying fox
The Indian flying fox (Pteropus medius) is a large fruit bat native to South Asia. It roosts in large colonies and feeds mainly on fruit and nectar.
Pteropus: A genus of large fruit bats, commonly called flying foxes, native to tropical and subtropical regions. The Indian flying fox is one of the genus’s South Asian species.
Seed dispersal: The movement of seeds away from the plants that produced them. By carrying or dropping seeds after feeding, the bat can help regenerate forests.
Neora Valley National Park: A protected area in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India, spanning forested Himalayan foothills. Its forests provide habitat for Indian flying foxes in the species’ range.
Indian short-nosed fruit bat: A small fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx, found across South and Southeast Asia. Unlike the large, tree-roosting flying fox, this smaller species often uses foliage to form roosts.
IUCN Red List: A global assessment system that classifies species by their risk of extinction. Its assessment records the Indian flying fox’s conservation status and supporting evidence.
Megabat: A common name for fruit bats in the family Pteropodidae, which rely chiefly on vision and smell. This family-level grouping places the Indian flying fox among fruit-eating bats.
Pollination: The transfer of pollen from an anther to a receptive stigma, enabling plant reproduction. Nectar-feeding visits can transfer pollen between flowers.
Kandy: A city in central Sri Lanka, set in a basin among hills. A well-known urban roost there illustrates the species’ use of city trees.
Lesser short-nosed fruit bat: A small fruit bat, Cynopterus brachyotis, distributed across South and Southeast Asia. Its smaller size and different genus distinguish it from the Indian flying fox.
Habitat fragmentation: The division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches. Fragmented landscapes can alter access to feeding sites and safe roosts.