Pteropus scapulatus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The little red flying-fox (Pteropus scapulatus) is a megachiropteran bat native to northern and eastern Australia. The species weighs about half a kilogram, one US pound, and is the smallest species of Pteropus in mainland Australia. P. scapulatus occurs at the coast and further inland, camping and flying to the tropical to temperate regions that provide them with an annual source of nectar. They exhibit an unusual method of obtaining drinking water during dry periods, skimming a stream's surface to gather it onto their fur while they are in flight.
The first description was published by Wilhelm Peters in 1862, as a 'new species of flederhund from New Holland'. The type specimen was collected at Cape York Peninsula. The population gives its name to the 'scapulatus species group', as recognised by authors in the late twentieth century.
Pteropus scapulatus is well known and referred to by many names, these include the 'collared' flying-fox or fruit-bat, the reddish fruit-bat and little reds. A flying mammal of the pteropodid family, frugivorous bats with simple dog-like heads, often found roosting closely together in large numbers. The characteristic absence... Wikipedia →
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Australia · 2025
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Australia · 2026
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Australia · 2024
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Auckland Zoo | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Randers Tropical Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 4 | Birdworld Kuranda | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Kuranda Koala Gardens | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | The Green Planet | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Red Flying Fox sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 22 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Little Red Flying Fox in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in March to January, the lowest months. That is one of Brisbane's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 40 mm in July.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Little Red Flying Fox sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Brisbane, in our data
Brisbane is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Little Red Flying Fox sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same genus: Pteropus
The closest relatives of the Little Red Flying Fox that you can see in Brisbane (genus Pteropus, Flying-foxes) are Black Flying-fox (about 20%) and Grey-headed Flying-fox (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Red Flying Fox is recorded against all the mammals logged in Brisbane (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
