Indian flying fox Indian flying fox The Indian flying fox ("Pteropus giganteus"), also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox found in South Asia. It is one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest as a disease vector, as it is capable of transmitting several viruses to humans. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar. This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of
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