Madagascan flying fox Madagascan flying fox The Madagascan flying fox, Madagascar flying-fox, or Madagascar fruit bat ("Pteropus rufus") is a species of megabat in the genus "Pteropus". It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. It eats figs and other fruits, flowers, and leaves. This is the largest bat in Madagascar, with a body length of 23.5–27 cm (9.1–10.5 in), a wingspan of 100–125 cm (39–49 in), and a body weight of 500–750 g (1.1-1.65 lb). The Madagascan flying fox roosts during the day in large trees in colonies of
Australian flying fox die-offs flying fox ("Pteropus poliocephalus") and the black flying fox ("P. alecto"). Where mixed-species colonies are affected the black flying fox suffers substantially higher mortality than the grey-headed flying fox. However, summer temperatures are more extreme within the range of the grey-headed flying fox than within the range of the black flying-fox, and therefore the actual total number of casualties is much higher among grey-headed flying foxes than black flying foxes. Mortality is especially high among dependent young and lactating females, but any demographic category can be affected. Observations in flying fox colonies during extreme heat events have revealed that flying