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A
Guide to the: Egyptian Fruit Bat - Rousettus aegyptiacus
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The Egyptian
Fruit Bat has a sharp muzzle, large dark eyes and pointed ears. Like
other fruit bats, it looks a little foxlike, and is often referred to
as a 'flying fox'. These bats cluster in huge colonies of up to thousands
of individuals, usually hanging from one foot from the ceiling of a
cave, with their wings folded closely around their body, and their other
foot folded across their front. When they return from their night's
foraging just before daybreak, the bats make a great deal of noise as
they jostle for a position in the cave's dark recesses. Like other bats,
the Egyptian fruit bat has incredible powers of echolocation, making
a series of repeated tongue clicks which are bounced back from obstacles.
Once a fruit tree has been located, the bats circle it before settling
on the branches, using their acute sense of smell as well as their eyesight
to locate the ripe fruit. The juicy pulp is either consumed immediately
or taken away in special cheek pouches. Wild figs are a favourite fruit,
although they do eat any pulpy fruit. The young are born with their
eyes closed and their ears folded back, and are carried around by their
mothers for their first six weeks, after which they are left in the
cave while the mother forages for food for them.
More facts about Egyptian Fruit Bats
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