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
Indian flying fox large flying fox is "P. vampyrus," not "P. giganteus"; In negating Brünnich's name, Mlíkovský states that the oldest applicable name used to describe the Indian flying fox comes from Coenraad Jacob Temminck's publication in 1825. Mlíkovský's recommendation has been met with varying degrees of acceptance. Some authors who have published on the Indian flying fox since 2012 have accepted this taxonomic revision, using the name "Pteropus medius". Other taxonomic authorities, however, such as the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, still recognize "Pteropus giganteus" as the valid name of the Indian flying fox. It is most closely related to the grey-headed flying