Weight: 500-700 g.

Identification: The largest of the flying foxes, this mammal has short black fur, often tipped with white. There is sometimes a dark orange or brown shoulder mantle that does not fully encircle the neck. Eyes are large and dark brown.

Call/Song:

  Very common throughout the north, west and east coastal areas of Australia.

Habitat: Found in mangroves, paperbark swamps and occaionally in rainforest.

Movement:These are nocturnal animals that in many areas spend the day time roosting in "camps" in mangrove areas.  These camps can have hundreds of thousands of flying foxes in them, providing a spectacular sight when they move to feeding grounds at dusk.

Feeding: Naturally, these animals usually eat such things as the blossoms of eucalypts, paperbarks and fruit and will travel up to 50 km to feed.  Have become a pest of orchards and gardens since the introduction of exotic fruit into their feeding areas.

Breeding/Nesting: Mating season occurs from March to April and much activity occurs in the camps at this time.

Other Common Names: Gould's fruit-bat, black or blackish fruit-bat.
Status: Common in Australia.

Distribution:

Abundance: Common 

Queensland Museum (1995) Wildlife of Greater Brisbane, Queensland Museum, Brisbane.

Strahan, R. et al. (1995) The Mammals of Australia, Australian Museum/ Reed New Holland, Sydney.

Cayley, N. W. & Strahan, R.(1987) What Mammal Is That?, Angus & Robertson Publishers, Australia.