Indian Flying Fox

Pteropus medius

1.5-meter wingspan, fox face, and roosts in trees like hanging fruit. Pollinates forests while people sleep.

Population: No single global census exists; local roost surveys have tallied tens of thousands at a time (e.g., ~74,000 individuals summed across studied Indian roost sites), and the IUCN's 2025 reassessment suspects an overall 25-29% decline over three generations (2012-2037), consistent with an overall declining trend
Habitat: Large fruit/flower trees (especially banyan, fig, and tamarind) near water, roosting communally in exposed treetop canopy camps; found in forests, mangroves/swamps, and agricultural/urban areas across lowland South Asia
Fun fact: Indian flying foxes are keystone seed dispersers — a large share of the seeds found in their droppings come from banyan and other fig trees — and individuals can range many kilometers a night (sources vary between ~15 km and up to 150 km) in search of fruit and nectar.
Range: Indian subcontinent and adjacent areas: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka (also reported in the Maldives and southern Tibet/China per some sources)
Diet: Frugivorous and nectarivorous — mangoes, bananas, guavas, figs, and other soft fruit, plus flower nectar and blossoms; feeds on fruit/flowers of roughly 300+ plant species
Size: 0.2 m
Wingspan: 1.35 m
Lifespan: 31 years

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