You know sometimes I wonder about people and why they think something is scary. I know that recently bats have been accused of starting COVID-19 but I still find them really cute. At least in pictures. Anything that flutters can scare you but that’s because it’s unexpected. But when you’re looking at a picture or dealing with a calm one it’s a whole different story. Now there’s a picture circulating on Twitter of a Giant golden-crowned flying fox and people are freaking out. Here’s the post:
The thing is though these giant bats are pretty harmless. They are unique to the Philippines and only eat fruit. So you don’t have to worry about becoming a vampire if you see one in the wild. Though irrational fears never stopped anyone before. They are quite large and are said to be as big as a six year old. Meaning they can grow up to about 4.5 feet standing. The giant golden-crowned flying fox has a typical wingspan of 1.5–1.7 m (4.9–5.6 ft)
They say that the reason you don’t see them flying all over the place is because they only reproduce in single births and that females may only have one every two years. They did a very limited study on the reproduction habits of these bats so not much is known. They are nocturnal and only do limited things during the day such as groom, excrete, and stretch their wings.
You really don’t have to worry much about them since they are fruit bats. But if you are in the Philippines and have some extra figs, try making a new friend! Or just observe from afar where it feels safer. Take a picture though, these guys are truly a sight to be seen!
