Mammals of the WorldGreater Short-nosed Fruit Bat
Cynopterus sphinx
- Order
- Chiroptera
- Family
- Pteropodidae
- Genus
- Cynopterus
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Pakistan|India|Sri Lanka|Nepal|Bangladesh|Bhutan|Myanmar|China|Vietnam|Laos|Thailand|Cambodia|Malaysia|Andaman and Nicobar Islands|Indonesia
- Realm
- Indomalaya|Palearctic|Australasia
Other names: Short-nosed Indian Fruit Bat|Sphinx Fruit Bat
About this species
- Diet
- Fruit, especially guava, banana, sapodilla, dates and lychee
- Habitat
- Forest, fruit-growing areas, grassland and mangroves
- Gestation
- About 3–5 months
The greater short-nosed fruit bat, or short-nosed Indian fruit bat, has a fairly long snout and brown to grey-brown upperparts, paler below. The wingspan is about 48 cm and the average forearm 70.2 mm, with a range of 64–79 mm. It is a voracious eater that can take more than its body weight in one sitting, finding fruit by scent, and guava, banana, sapodilla, dates and lychees are favourites (Wikipedia, general species account).
It builds simple tents by chewing palm fronds, or interlaces leaves and twigs on vines growing over buildings. Females outnumber males. In central India it breeds twice a year with a single young each time, after a gestation of about 3–5 months, and newborns weigh about 13.5 g. Young are weaned at about four weeks. It ranges from Pakistan to Vietnam and is regarded as a pest of fruit crops (Wikipedia, general species account).
Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)