In the wild, foxes can survive up to 10 years.

Flying foxes are not just feeding during this time, but performing a crucial role of pollinating native forests and spreading seeds to ensure longevity of our bush. But what do flying foxes eat? Flying-foxes are the largest flying mammals in the world, are nocturnal and are native to Australia. However, due to road accidents, diseases and excessive hunting these animals have undergone rapid decrease in their population over the recent years. The eating habits of foxes give a clear view that foxes are not as wild as they seem to. When they join the commuter rush at dusk, flying foxes are off to their job as forest-makers. During hot weather a mother bat may urinate deliberately on her young to help cool it down. Incurable sweet-tooths, flying foxes eat fruit, nectar and blossom. Do you know what do foxes eat? In the process, they pollinate flowers and disperse seeds of important native trees. This creates the perception that flying-foxes are abundant and their long-term survival is not at risk.

Flying-foxes are commonly known as fruit bats due to their mainly plant-based diet, but it has been known for some time that these large bats also eat insects – either as they come across them by accident or by catching them in flight. Fruit that has been partly eaten by flying-foxes should not be consumed by people. This article demonstrates the real facts about the foxes diet. The Grey-headed Flying-fox is much larger than other Australian flying-foxes. A familiar sight over much of eastern Australia, grey-headed flying foxes or fruit bats are usually seen at dusk, leaving their preferred roosting site in large numbers, heading out to favorite feeding areas.

CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL ‐ FLYING FOX FACT SHEET PAGE 2 10 Bat Myths (taken from batrescue.org.au website) Myth 1: Flying‐foxes are dirty animals FACT: Flying‐foxes are exceptionally clean animals and they invert or hang right side up in order to avoid soiling themselves. Most flying foxes are seasonal breeders and give birth in the spring, though the Mariana fruit bat seems to have aseasonal breeding with new pups documented throughout the year. Although flying-foxes prefer the fruit and nectar of native plants such as eucalypts, paperbarks and figs, they will also feed on cultivated fruit, especially when there is a shortage of native food.

Flying foxes contribute greatly to the local environment and economy. It can, thus, be concluded that foxes, though being the smallest of the dog family are the smartest ones. Females can have up to two litters annually, though one is the norm due to the long weaning period. Below is a list of nectar-rich, pollen-rich, and fruiting Australian plants which nourish our flying gardeners all year round. Flying foxes are not related to foxes at all but are a group of bats with fox-like heads. Despite concerns from farmers, they only eat fruit crops when native food sources are scarce. They are important to the environment as they support biodiversity and play an integral role in the reproduction, regeneration and dispersal of plants across the landscape.

As natural habitat and food sources shrink, many flying fox roosts are becoming surrounded by urban areas and it is here that they encounter one of the biggest threats to their welfare and survival: backyard fruit tree netting. Flying-foxes concentrate in large camps or roosts, yet their ability to fly considerable distances in search of fruit and flowers often brings them into backyards and orchards. If you want to help conserve this mutually beneficial relationship between our batty forests and our threatened species, please plant some of …

Foxes love to eat anything and everything as they are always on the hunt for food. Living near flying-foxes. Flying foxes do not reach sexual maturity until 1.5–2 years old. Grey-headed Flying-foxes often share roosting spots, called camps, with other bats such as the Little Red Flying-fox and the Black Flying-fox. – Flying-foxes in Fruit Trees.