Grey-headed flying-foxes
Most Brisbanites are familiar with the sights and sounds of flying-foxes (also known as fruit bats or megabats) as they fly over the city at dusk and chatter in gardens on summer nights but many of us know little about these frequently misunderstood yet fascinating and really very endearing little creatures which play an important role in our environment.
What bat is that?
Flying-foxes are members of the bat family but their diet consists of pollen, nectar and fruit and they are quite distinct from vampire bats found only in South America. Without our flying-foxes much of the seed dispersal and pollination of native plants species would simply not occur.
Species of flying-fox most easily recognised in Brisbane are black flying-foxes Pteropus alecto and grey-headed flying-foxes Pteropus poliocephalus although other species live here too along with microbats, their insect-eating little cousins.
Grey-headed flying-foxes are easily identified by their grey head and orange or red coloured fur which completely encircles their neck. Black flying-foxes are the largest of the species and are almost completely black although they sometimes have patches of grey and red. The faces of flying-foxes resemble those of foxes or little dogs and they have a wing span of more than a metre.
Bat watching
There are several flying-fox colonies around Brisbane, the best known being Indooroopilly Island where they can be seen and heard even in the daytime from across the river at Graceville and other nearby suburbs.
You can learn even more about flying-foxes on a Batty Boat Cruise along the Brisbane River where you will experience first hand the magnificent sight of thousands of flying-foxes leaving their camps at sunset.
At Brisbane's Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary you can see flying-foxes - and famous ones too! Some of Lone Pine's flying-foxes are direct descendants of those featured in the movie, Crocodile Dundee II.
Bat safety
All flying-foxes are protected by law and it is very important never to handle a bat due to the possibility of contracting disease such as Australian Bat Lyssavirus. If you ever find an injured or sick bat phone the EPA hotline on 1300 130 372 who will put you in contact with a licensed wildlife rescuer.
More information about flying-foxes can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency website.
