Golden-Mantled Flying Fox

Golden-mantled flying foxes are frugivorous, which means they feed on fruit. In the wild, they eat fruit from more than 20 different plants. This includes mangoes, bananas, figs, and nectar from flowers. Little golden-mantled flying foxes are one of the largest seed dispersers on the small Philippine islands on which they reside. They carry many seeds for considerable distances, often beyond their primary habitat. This, along with the bats’ contribution to pollination, promotes forest regeneration.

At the zoo, the bats enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables: apples, pears, pineapples, grapes, melons, carrots, sweet potatoes, and kale. Most diet is cut into small pieces and sprinkled with vitamin supplements. Larger pieces of fruit may be hung in the exhibit as enrichment.

This species is found on small or medium-sized islands throughout the Philippines and Indonesia.

Golden-mantled flying foxes prefer the upper canopies of lowland forests and are uncommon outside the forest. They are most common on small islands and generally rarer on the larger islands in their home range.

Predators of the golden-mantled flying fox include raptors, raccoons, snakes, and owls.

The species is in decline due to habitat loss and degradation from agricultural practices and logging. In some areas, there is also heavy hunting. Although illegal in some countries, there is still a widespread demand for fruit bats as meat and for traditional medicine. They also have been seen as pests by fruit growers, resulting in persecution and culling.

There are approximately 1,300 species of bats, divided into two suborders: megachiroptera and microchiroptera. Contrary to what the names imply, the division is not based on the size of the bats, but on whether the species can echolocate. The megachiroptera includes only “Old World” fruit bats, like the little golden-mantled flying fox. Megachiroptera cannot echolocate. Instead, they depend on their other senses to find food. Their eyes are larger, and their sight is good, especially at night. They can distinguish between ripe and unripe fruit based on their heightened sense of smell. The oval-shaped body and round head of little golden-mantled flying foxes are covered in fur ranging from pale yellow to honey brown. Their wing membrane is brown and furless, with a thumbnail on the end of their wings to assist in climbing and grasping. The claws on their feet enable them to easily hang upside down from trees while they eat, though they also forage on the ground.

Little is known about the reproductive behaviors of little golden-mantled flying foxes in the wild. What is known about reproduction comes from observing the individuals in human care. These small bats are mostly solitary, and mating is the only time individuals come together in a social setting. Little golden-mantled flying foxes typically breed in the fall, generally producing offspring once a year. Females spend 11 to 12 weeks caring for their young, teaching them how to forage and move around by themselves. After that period, the offspring are completely independent.

The golden-mantled flying fox is solitary or lives in small groups with little social interaction. They generally only come together for mating or feeding in fruiting trees. They are generally nocturnal and roost in trees.