Little Red Flying-fox

Family: Pteropodidae
Scientific name: Pteropus scapulatus

Where they roost:
On the branches of trees. They roost in groups, called camps, of up to many thousands of bats. They often share camps with other flying fox species.

What they eat:
They appear to favour the nectar and pollen of eucalypt blossom over other foods that make up their diet, such as other flowers and fruit. Orchards are raided sometimes when other food is limited.

Conservation threats:
Vulnerable to loss of feeding areas from forestry operations, clearing of native vegetation and land degradation from agriculture.

Other information:
They are important pollinators of tree species and fly further into inland Australia than other species following the flowering of eucalypts.

Photo © GB Baker/Nature Focus