With a wingspan of nearly 2 meters, fruit-eating fox bats, why are they still threatened with extinction?

Bats are a symbol of horror, while fox bats are the cute representatives of bats.

Fox bats are the largest bats, with big, watery eyes, fox-like faces, and are far different from the spooky and terrifying image of bats in the screen.

Despite this, some fox bats have a very large size, with a wingspan of up to 1.5 meters or more, when hanging upside down on trees, people unconsciously associate them with vampires, so many people still have a fear of bats.

Fortunately, fox bats mainly eat plants, and the larger ones eat fruits, so they are also called fruit bats. Various tropical fruits, as long as they are sweet and high in sugar, they will not refuse. As for the smaller ones, they suck nectar.

Outstanding fliers, also known as 'flying foxes'.

In fox bats, some species have a shocking wingspan, equivalent to a set of powerful aerial equipment, strong wings are light, and air dynamics can take them to very high and far places, so they naturally become outstanding flying players in the sky.

During flight, they will take their children with them.

As we all know, bats are nocturnal animals. When a flying fox gives birth to a child, it will not leave the baby alone at home, so the bat mother will let the baby tightly clamp it to its belly, then fly with it together.

Bat mothers are very 'loving' and will always fly around with their cubs until the cubs grow up and can no longer fly.

'One man, many wives' mating policy

If the charm of some male bats is enough, they can attract different female partners.

Male bats will guard their territories and invite female bats to mate.

The healthier and larger the male bats, the more space they can occupy, and the more romantic pursuits they can bring.

Not all bats use echolocation.

Unlike smaller bats, fox bats are a large mammal with good vision.

Except for the brown fruit bats and other few species, most fox bats do not use sound waves to determine their location and surrounding environment, but use their vision and smell to find food.

They don't like to live in caves, but live in forest environments with lush foliage.

Swamps, mangrove forests, and tropical rainforests with tall trees are ideal homes, and everywhere there are flowers and fruits for them to enjoy.

Large fox bats basically like to live in groups. After foraging, they will curl up in a group of thousands of bats, and when it's time to finish work, they will curl up in a group of thousands of bats.

Fox bats play an indispensable role in the local ecosystem.

In the ecosystems of Southeast Asian islands, fox bats play a vital role.

In their daily diet, they eat nectar, pollen, and fruits. Every time they go to the world to forage for food, they will spread the seeds and pollen of plants to the forest farther away, which increases the survival rate of plants.

As the largest bat, scientists warn: they may be extinct in the near future.

In Malaysia and Indonesia, bats are hunted in large quantities. In Malaysia, the number of bats legally hunted each year is more than 20,000, not to mention those illegally hunted.

Locally, people also believe that bats have medicinal value, and most of the reason for hunting is for consumption.

Many bat species around the world are facing the threat of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List has identified more than 280 endangered, vulnerable and 'critically endangered' species.

The pig fruit bat in fox bats is the most endangered bat in the world. It was only found in a cave in Papua New Guinea, and according to the Red List, there are only about 137 to 160 individuals.

Despite this, hunting is not the only threat to fox bats. With the deforestation, we drive these animals out of their homes. Some flying foxes, such as the flying foxes of Mauritius, are already on the verge of extinction.

Finally, the editor wants to say that like most bats, fox bats have the ability to carry various diseases, whether it is Nipah virus and Ebola virus, or selfish desires, are not the reasons for killing them!