Pteropus vampyrus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus), also known as the greater flying fox, Malayan flying fox, Malaysian flying fox, large fruit bat, kalang, or kalong, is a southeast Asian species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. Despite its scientific name, it feeds exclusively on fruits, nectar, and flowers, like the other flying foxes of the genus Pteropus. It is noted for being one of the largest bats. As with nearly all other Old World fruit bats, it lacks the ability to echolocate but compensates for it with well-developed eyesight.
The large flying fox was one of the many mammal species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his Systema Naturae, receiving the name Vespertilio vampyrus. The holotype was collected on Java. Its species name "vampyrus" is derived from Slavic "wampir" meaning "blood-sucking ghost or demon: vampire". This name was chosen in reference to its "alleged blood-sucking habits", although it is entirely vegetarian and largely frugivorous.
Based on phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial DNA, the closest relative of the large flying fox is the Rodrigues flying fox (Pteropus rodricensis). Because the genus Pteropus... Wikipedia →
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Singapore · 2020
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Komodo National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Taman Safari Bali (Bali Safari) | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Oakland Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Temaikén | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 6 | National Zoo of Malaysia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Gatorland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Wilhelma | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Bandung Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 11 | Akron Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Santillana Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 13 | Faunistic Park Cappeller | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 14 | Emperor Valley Zoo | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | |
| 15 | Johor Zoo | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 16 | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | National Aviary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Sea World Indonesia | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 19 | Dubai Dolphinarium | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 20 | Lembang Park & Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 21 | Vogelpark Bali | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 22 | Zoológico La Era de las aves | 🇪🇸 Spain |
No species of the same family or order lives in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Large Flying Fox sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 26 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Large Flying Fox in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month.
Between 4 and 7 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Flying Fox sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Large Flying Fox sightings, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Komodo National Park (Indonesia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Large Flying Fox is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (34 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.
