Genus: Pteropus

The Malayan Flying Fox, otherwise known as the Red Necked Flying Fox, is generally accepted as the largest of all flying foxes. Blackish-brown in colour, with a reddish- brown neck. Its coat is speckled with gray-white and it has the characteristic long fox like snout, which resulted in the name flying fox. The flying fox is a species of fruit bat. Bats are the only mammals that have wings and can truly fly. Although they are generally most active at night, they do sometimes move about in the day. Eyesight is the primary sense of the Malaysian flying fox.

Wings

The Malayan flying fox has a wing span of about 170cm, which is the largest wing span in the world out of all of the bat species. The wings are made up of elongated finger bones, similar to those found in our hands. The second finger has a claw attached, which is used to help them move about when inverted. The membrane of the wing is made up of two layers of skin that closely sandwich elastic fibers, a thin layer of muscle and veins and arteries. The muscle helps in forming the airfoil shape that assists in the creation of lift. This is particularly prominent in the section of wing closest to the body. They have a high aspect ratio and wing loading, which allows for improved long range capabilities. They have been known to range up to 40 miles looking for food.

Whilst they are very accomplished flyers they have a little more trouble with their landings. As they fly horizontally and roost in an inverted vertical position; the transition from one to the other is often difficult. To launch they will simply spread their wings and let go. To land they often rely on crashing into a tree and grabbing hold. This 'grip and swing' method is best described as a rather precarious crash landing.

Roosting

The Flying Fox roosts in trees and mangroves. They roost in large colonies, which are known as camps. Because they sleep exposed to the weather they use their wings to provide protection from the elements. In bad weather, they wrap their wings tightly around them to form a cloak. In good weather, they use their wings as a form of air-conditioning, airing out their wings and then folding them tightly together to replenish the fresh air underneath.

Unfortunately the greatest danger to the Malayan Fruit Bat is man.

A large part of this danger comes from misunderstanding. Farmers fear that the bats will eat their fruit crops prior to harvesting and thus kill large numbers of them to prevent this from happening. In some places, including Malaysia the government even puts a bounty on the heads of these animals to encourage people to kill them. This fear of the flying fox's destroying their crops is based on a misunderstanding. The bats only eat ripe fruit, preferably too ripe. So if the crops are harvested on time then little damage is done. During the harvest period there are many simple remedies to keep them away, such as lighting small fires around the crops, shining bright lights or firing shots to scare them off. All of these methods have been proven to be effective.

Another problem the flying foxes face is being eaten. Some snakes and other carnivores do eat them, and young separated from their parents make fairly easy prey for most predators. However the real problem is many people like to eat them. In fact in some areas they are considered a delicacy. For the food market the flying fox is caught alive, caged, brought to the market and then killed on the spot when somebody buys it. Approximately 1,500 flying foxes are sold per merchant annually.

To add to the dangers faced by the flying fox they are also used in traditional Chinese medicine, particularly on main land China. Large numbers of the Malayan Flying Fox are being trapped and exported to China to satisfy the growing demand. It is said that they provide cures for asthma, kidney ailments and general malaise. Although no proof has been found to support these claims the popularity of these medicines is increasing. As a direct result the population of our flying fox is decreasing.

Unfortunately the majority of hunting of these animals occurs during breeding season, which creates a further strain on their numbers.

Of course one other problem being faced by the majority of our wild animals today is habitat loss and destruction. One of the favorite roosting places of the Malayan Flying Fox is mangroves, and the destruction of these areas is rapid and continuous. Forested areas in general are also being destroyed at a frightening rate.

There is growing awareness of the plight of the Malayan Flying Fox. It now has a CITES App. II listing, which means "Although not necessarily threatened by extinction, may become so unless trade is subject to strict regulations in order to avoid use incompatible with their survival." There are a number of national parks and areas in both Indonesia and Malaysia where the flying fox is protected.

There are 955 known species of bats. Of these only three are the infamous vampire bats and these are all found in the New World (south and North America)

The first fossil records of bats date back to the early Eocene epoch period, some 60 million years ago. However scientists speculate that the ancestors of bats actually started to evolve between 70 and 100 million years ago.

The Malayan Flying Fox, and in fact all fruit eating bats, provide an invaluable service. They pollinate a lot of fruit varieties, including fruit crops such as durians. They are also very important in helping to spread fruit seeds and thus assist in the continuation of trees and forests. In fact a recent decline in durian production has been said to be a direct result of the decline in the fruit bat population.

Bats of all kinds often appear in folk law throughout the world. In western culture they are often associated with frightening things such as graveyards, ghosts, ghouls and vampires. In the Chinese culture bats are "good luck" and a bat motif may often be found embroidered into fabric for special occasions. The Chamorro people of Guam consider fruit bats very important, however unfortunately for the bats they recognize this by preparing a special ceremonial dish, containing the bat, for special occasions. As a result the bat population is so low they have to import bats for this purpose.

Why do bats hang upside down? This posture may reflect the fact that their forelimbs are wings, which makes their arms and hands proportionally very large. The arrangement and structure of the tendons in a bat's hind foot means that hanging does not involve the contraction of any muscles. Thus it does not cost a bat as much energy to hang as it would to stand. Furthermore, as every hang-glider knows, it's easier to take off from a height, and perhaps easier still when you start from an upside-down position. However, not all bats hang upside down. The bats that hang and do not crawl or run have rather spindly hind legs, while species that are more active on the ground, like common vampire bats and free-tailed bats, have bigger thigh bones.