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 canine is pronounced, and the molars have a longitudinal furrow. As of 1999, it is the longest-lived member of its genus; one individual lived for 31 years and 5 months in captivity. It was described as a new species in 1782 by Danish zoologist Morten Thrane Brünnich, who gave it the scientific name "Vespertilio gigantea." Linnaeus previously classified the species as "Pteropus vampyrus". Its species name ""giganteus"" is of Latin origin, meaning "giant." In 2012, Mlíkovský argued that the correct scientific name of the Indian flying fox should be "Pteropus medius" rather than "P. giganteus". He asserted that Brünnich coined