Common Flying Fox (Pteropus Giganteus Giganteus)

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Sinhalese: Maha-Wawula, Loku-Wawula

Tamil: Periya-vava

Description: This is the largest bat having a wing-span of about 122 cm. The arms and legs from a framework for the skin which constitutes the wings, but the head and body are covered with fur.

Distribution: Found throughout the island except in the highest hills.

Habits: The flying fox is nocturnal, having excellent night vision; it has no means of echolocation. They roost during the day hanging upside down in the tops of large trees in huge noisy colonies of many hundreds. In the evening they leave one by one on their nightly foraging, returning at dawn. Their food consists of the juices and pulp of fruits and flowers, having chewed the flesh, the solids are discarded.

Breeding: The gestation period is said to be about 140-150 days and one young is born. While it is still small, it accompanies its mother on her nightly flights, clinging to the fur of her breast.

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