Ryukyu flying fox

Characteristics

A large bat with a wingspan of over 60cm. The body length is about 25cm.

The whole body is brown, but only the area around the neck is lighter, which is where the species name comes from. The wings are black and look hard. The iris is brown overall. The silhouette of the head when hanging is round.

Ecology

They live in the Yaeyama Islands, and start flying from dusk to night. Their flying appearance and wing sounds (although not that loud) are impressive. They eat fruits and nectar from flowers. They hang from trees during the day, and the individual photographed was found on the roadside in the afternoon. They are also large when hanging.

Habitat

Iriomote Island

I discovered it in the afternoon while walking around Iriomote Island. I looked up into the trees looking for birds and saw a large animal hanging from the tree. It didn't run away even when it caught my eye, but instead looked back at me and looked around. They become active from dusk to night, flying around vigorously. It was a little scary when I passed near a streetlight where Yaeyama flying foxes were flying around. But they have never been particularly dangerous to humans.