Large flying fox fox was one of the many mammal species originally described by Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his "Systema Naturae", receiving the name "Vespertilio vampyrus". The large flying fox is among the largest species of bat. It weighs and has a wingspan of up to . Its head-body length is . As with all megabats, it has a fox-like face, hence its name. It lacks a tail and has pointed ears. The hairs on much of its body are long and woolly, but are shorter and more erect on the upper back. The mantle hairs tend to be
Grey-headed flying fox and pollens of around 187 plant species. These include "Eucalyptus", particularly "Eucalyptus gummifera", "Eucalyptus muellerana", "Eucalyptus globoidea" and "Eucalyptus botryoides", and fruits from a wide range of rainforest trees, including members of the genus "Ficus". These bats are considered sequential specialists, since they feed on a variety of foods. Grey-headed flying foxes, along with the three other Australian flying fox species, fulfill a very important ecological role by dispersing the pollen and seeds of a wide range of native Australian plants. The grey-headed flying fox is the only mammalian nectarivore and frugivore to occupy substantial areas of subtropical rainforests, so