🦇 Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus) – The Winged Sentinel of the Sundarbans Skies

The Indian Flying Fox, also known as Pteropus giganteus, is one of the largest bats in the world. Despite its intimidating size, this gentle giant plays a vital role in pollination and seed dispersal, maintaining the ecological balance of tropical and subtropical forests. In the Sundarbans, its presence is both common and crucial.

📚 Taxonomy

• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Chordata

• Class: Mammalia

• Order: Chiroptera

• Family: Pteropodidae

• Genus: Pteropus

• Species: Pteropus giganteus

• Common Names: Indian Flying Fox, Greater Indian Fruit Bat

🦇 Morphology & Physical Description

• Wingspan: Up to 1.5 meters (5 feet)

• Body Length: Around 20–30 cm

• Weight: Approximately 1.2–1.6 kg

• Fur Color:

  • Chestnut-brown or reddish-brown body

  • Darker wings

  • Golden or orange-tinted mantle around the neck in adults

• Face: Fox-like face with large eyes, prominent ears, and no echolocation—uses sight and smell instead

🌿 Habitat & Distribution

• Native to the Indian subcontinent, found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar

• Prefers forests, urban parks, temples, mangroves, and cultivated areas

• Roosts in large colonies on tall trees, often near water bodies

🌟 Special Features & Behavior

🕊️ Gentle Fruit-Eaters

• Feeds on mangoes, guavas, bananas, figs, and nectar from flowering trees

• Essential for seed dispersal and pollination of native fruiting trees

🌙 Nocturnal Navigators

• Active during the night, flying long distances (up to 100 km) in search of food

• Uses keen eyesight and sense of smell to locate ripe fruits

🏰 Roosting Colonies

• Roosts during the day in large numbers—sometimes hundreds or thousands—forming noisy colonies

• These roosts often become local landmarks in forest villages

🌊 Presence in the Sundarbans

In the Sundarbans, the Indian Flying Fox thrives among the dense mangrove canopies, riverside forests, and rural outskirts.

• Often roosts on tall trees like Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) and Peepal (Ficus religiosa) near villages and watchtowers

• A key pollinator for native trees like Kadamba, Mahua, and Silk Cotton

• Plays a vital role in the regeneration of mangroves and biodiversity of the delta

• Easily spotted during dawn or dusk flights near rivers like Matla, Bidyadhari, and Saptamukhi

⚠️ Threats

• Habitat loss due to deforestation and urbanization

• Hunting and persecution, driven by myths and fruit crop damage

• Disturbance of roosting sites, often located in human-dominated areas

Despite these threats, the Indian Flying Fox is legally protected under the Wildlife Protection Act (Schedule II) in India, and awareness is growing about its ecological importance.

🛡️ Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern, but declining in local populations

• Legal Protection in India: Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

The Indian Flying Fox is not a menace, but a winged gardener of the night, ensuring the health of forests and mangroves like the Sundarbans. Its protection is essential for a thriving ecosystem. Understanding and respecting this giant bat will help conserve the delicate balance of nature in one of the world’s richest biospheres.

💡 Credit Note

🛶 Discover the biodiversity of the delta with a Sundarban luxury private tour or an immersive Sundarban private tour package curated for nature lovers.
🌿 Plan your journey through the mangrove maze with our expert-guided Sundarban trip.
🐟 Don’t miss the cultural and culinary delight of the Sundarban Hilsa Festival 2025—a must-visit for fish lovers and foodies!

Learn more about this species on the Indian Flying Fox Wikipedia page.