The Golden-Crowned Flying-Fox is a large fruit bat found in forests and swamps across the Philippines. It has a wingspan of up to 5 feet and weighs about 2.5 pounds, with golden-brown fur and a black body and wings. It lives in large colonies, roosting in trees near rivers and feeding on figs and other fruits. However, hunting and habitat loss have severely reduced its numbers from over 100,000 historically to only a few thousand today. As a key pollinator and seed disperser, its decline threatens Philippine rainforests.

1. Philippines

2. Golden-Crowned Flying-Fox
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Chiroptera
Family:
Pteropodidae
Genus:
Acerodon
Species:
A. jubatus
Binomial name
Acerodon jubatus

3. Description:








Wings: can end up being up to
five feet wide when fully
displayed.
Weight: about 2 ½ pounds.
Face: is very similar to that of a
fox.
Snout: long and is very similar to
those of canines.
Ears: are pointed rather than
round like most species of bats.
Fur: golden brown
Color: The rest of the body,
including the wings, are black.
Tail: none

4. Distribution:
As of 1992 it occurred on the islands of:
 Basilan
 Biliran
 Cebu
 Dinagat
 Leyte
 Luzon
 Mindoro
 Negros
 Samar
 Sulu Archipelago (Bongao, Sanga
Sanga, Sivutu and Tawitawi)

5.  Because of centuries of myth and superstition, bats are among the
world's least appreciated and most endangered animals.
 There were 100,000 fruit bats in the Subic Forest in the 1930s. But due
to hunting and human activities within the area, this number went
down to only a few thousands today.
 Commercial fruit farmers drive bats away because they consider them
as troublesome pests that eventually led to their extinction
 The fact that the forest areas
where these bats live continue to
be destroyed by humans is also a
factor.

6. Habitat:






They roosts in hardwood trees, often on cliff edges or steep,
inaccessible slopes.
Other preferred roosting sites include bamboo clumps, mangrove
trees, and other swampy forested areas. (Roosting sites are usually
located on small, offshore islands.)
They live in deep caves as well as in the rainforests.
They typically follow the routes of the river, and experts believe it is.
because they can easily find food
sources along those areas.
They are fruit eating bats and
their main food is figs and figs are
located near rivers as are many
fruit trees are in the Philippines
because it is much easier to grow
here.
Acerodon jubatus loves
uninhabited areas in fact in a
recent study no bats were found
in inhabited areas.

7. Habitat Regions: tropical, terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Wetlands: swamp
Other Habitat Features: risparian
Reproduction:



Breeding interval: Females can breed as often as once every two
years.
Breeding season Births: occur from April to June, but gestation
periods are unknown, so the breeding season has yet to be
determined. Many species form harems consisting of 1 dominant
male and up to 37 females. Bachelor males roost separately
Average number of offspring: After five months of pregnancy
they give birth to a single offspring.1
Colonies:
 When fruit bats were very common in the Philippines, the Giant
Golden Crowned Flying fox and the Large Flying fox would make
colonies together along with Malayan Flying Foxes (Pteropus
vampyrus), reportedly numbering over 150,000 individuals.
 It is this roosting behavior that made them so easy to hunt, but also
keeps them keep warm and potentially free from predators.

8. Diet:
 Golden-capped fruit bats are frugivores.
 The types of foods they consume include figs, lamio, and sometimes
cultivated fruits of their food supplies are becoming harder to come
by.
 They also consume leaves by crushing them and swallowing the liquid
content.
Behavior:
 they are primarily nocturnal, and can travel at least 40 km (25 miles) in
one night searching for food.
 They take a great deal of care with personal grooming. They will use
their wings to scoop the water up and put it all over the body. They
wash frequently in the water, taking their time to do so.
 They roost in very large colonies
as this helps them to stay warm
and to be able to feel safe.

9. Ecological Significance





There are more than 300 plant species that rely on the pollinating and
seed dispersal services of bats. Some of these plants include
bananas, mangoes, avocados and cashews. They also leave
guano, one of the best natural fertilizers available to man.
They pollinate the forest
They also disperse seeds. According to Bat World sanctuary, it is
estimated that around 95% of new rainforest regrowth is due to fruit
bats dispersing seeds.
Drooping in caves support whole ecosystems of unique
organisms, including bacteria. useful detoxifying wastes, improving
detergents a
This helps maintain the Philippine rainforest.
Economic Significance
 Fruit bats are hunted by man for food.
 They are considered a delicacy in many regions in the country.
 Some large bat roosts, shared by Golden-crowned Flying Fox and other
species, are used as tourist attractions.
 useful in improving detergents and producing gasohol and antibiotics.

10. References:




http://www.animalinfo.org/species/bat/acerjuba.htm
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_5415239_fruit-bat.html
http://carnivoraforum.com/topic/9328621/1/
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Acerodon_juba
tus/
 http://www.arkive.org/golden-capped-fruit-bat/acerodonjubatus/image-G28476.html