Epomophorus wahlbergi
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is commonly found across southern Africa. Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat is brown to tawny colored with white hair patches at the base of the ears. Males are typically darker in coloration than females. This species is named for erectable epaulettes of hair that form around large scent glands in males only. Males are also distinguished from females by air sacs on the neck that may increase the volume of courtship calls. Scent glands are located near the white ear patches in both sexes. Wings are broad as compared to other bat species. Adult wingspan is 510–600 mm (20–24 in) and 456–540 mm (18.0–21.3 in) for males and females, respectively. Adults weight 54–125 g (1.9–4.4 oz).
The eyes of E. wahlbergi are large. Ears are simple, oval-shaped, and lack a tragus. The nose is also simple, but the lips are highly folded and expansible. Skulls are 44–57 mm (1.7–2.2 in) and 41–49 mm (1.6–1.9 in) long for males and females, respectively.
Species of the genus Epomophorus can be distinguished from other megabats (Family Pteropodidae) by their eponymous white... Wikipedia →
Recording0:19
South Africa · 2024
© Errol Douwes · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:26
South Africa · 2019
© Alex Rebelo · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:26
South Africa · 2026
© Craig Peter · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 29th most-seen of the 34 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in July–August, October and December, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (South Africa, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
