Pteropus scapulatus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
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 →
Social call0:46
Australia · 2025
© Nick Talbot · XC976962 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:15
Australia · 2026
© venator00 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:33
Australia · 2024
© Nicole Jones · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | 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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Little Red Flying Fox sighting in Nitmiluk National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Little Red Flying Fox in Nitmiluk National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May and September, the lowest months. That is one of Nitmiluk National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 270 mm in January.
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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Little Red Flying Fox sightings, Nitmiluk National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Daintree National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Red Flying Fox is recorded against all the mammals logged in Nitmiluk National Park (14 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.
