Flying Foxes from Madagascar
Flying foxes are not only found in Madagascar, but also in the rainforests of other tropical countries. Their evolutionary history remains a mystery despite some fossil findings. Most scientists believe that flying foxes and bats share a common ancestor. It is speculated that this ancestor was a small mammal,
Using its membrane wings, it glided from tree to tree. Some researchers believe that bats had insect-eating ancestors, while flying foxes descended from a later evolutionary line. Flying foxes and bats differ mainly in their size. The wingspan of flying foxes can reach up to one meter. Unlike bats, they do not have an ultrasonic orientation system, but they have excellent vision. Flying foxes, as they are called in English, can be recognized by their fox-like head and reddish-brown fur.
Flying foxes are vegetarian and feed exclusively on fruit. Some tribes of the Some communities hunt these animals to eat them, while in the beliefs of other communities, hunting fruit bats is prohibited by a Fady, a religious taboo. You can observe these amazing animals particularly well on Nosy be and the surrounding islands, in the Berenty Reserve, and Ankarana N.P., as well as in the wild at Andasibe.
