Young are born with dark skin and fur but become paler as they develop. Except for parts close to the body and the edge of the wing membrane, wing membranes lack fur. Head and upper body are covered with a dark mantle ranging in color from mahogany-red to black, and the venter is often darker than the rest of the body. Upper dorsal fur is short and stiff, with longer, woolier fur on the venter. Pelage varies in color and texture with age and sex. It has long pointed ears and a dog-like or fox-like face and head. Forearm length ranges from 180 to 220 mm, mean wingspan is 1.5 m, and body mas ranges from 0.6 to 1.1 kg. Pteropus vampyrus is one of the largest bats in the world. ( Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, 2010 Bates, et al., 2011 Mildenstein, et al., 2005 Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, 2010) Large flying foxes are commonly found in riparian areas. They prefer undisturbed forests in lowlands, beaches, and mangroves, for roosting and select against disturbed and agricultural areas. Studies in Subic Bay, Philippines have shown that foraging locations range between 0.4 and 12 km from the roost. Roosting trees are often found in mangrove forests, coconut groves, and mixed fruit orchards. Roost sites are often used for many years and trees become stripped of bark and foliage by the bats' sharp claws. During the day, groups often roost in large trees. Populations also occur on oceanic islands. They occur primarily in secondary forests and use agricultural areas during forging bouts. Large flying foxes inhabit tropical forests and swamps. ( Bates, et al., 2011 Kunz and Jones, 2000 Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, 2010 "ARKive Images of Life on Earth", 2011) Pteropus vampyrus is native to China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. This species is also found in southern Burma and southern Thailand and extends to the east Philippines, Sumatra, and Timor. It is present throughout most of Indonesia. It occurs in most of continental and insular Southeast Asia from southern Myanmar and southern Vietnam through Malaysia to Singapore. Pteropus vampyrus is found from Madagascar to Australia and in mainland Asia and Indonesia.
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