Henry Doorly Zoo 2010 - Free-ranging Giant Indian Fruit Bats in Lied Jungle

September 2010

Free-ranging Giant Indian Fruit Bats in Lied Jungle.

How do you know the species?

I can't remember - think I saw it hidden somewhere on the zoo's website

Have to say, I wouldn't have said these were Giant Indians from this photo - those are usually much darker in colour and don't have the pink 'fingers'. To me they look more like Egyptian Fruit Bats (Rousettus aegypticus).

Taxonomical debate is something I never enter; but I would like to point out that ISIS lists Omaha as having 8.7 Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus).

I'm unconvinced, I'm afraid! If you run 'Pteropus giganteus' through Google Images you'll see they're quite different - black and golden-brown fur and the folded wings don't protrude beyond the head when resting.

Do we have an Omaha regular who could confirm?

This could be a Pteropus species, but certainly no P. giganteus. It's difficult to estimate the size on photo's, but they look way to small for a P. giganteus, more like the size of an egyptian fruit bat or a smaller Pteropus species.

Btw. ISIS also lists Ruwenzori long-haired fruit bats and egyptian fruit bats for Omaha

I'm leaving this to the big boys now!

Then I would definitely say these are one of those two species (or a mixture of both!). I honestly wouldn't trust myself to tell the difference reliably - never seen a Ruwenzori in the flesh.

as they are a bit to dark for an egyptian fruit bat and photo's i have seen from the ruwenzori species, i would say these are ruwenzori long haire fruit bats. But maybe someone that has actually seen both species can tell us the answer...