Spectacled flying fox
North-eastern coast of Queensland from Hinchinbrook Island, north to Cape York including the Torres Strait Islands. Extralimital distribution includes the Moluccas in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Description A large black flying fox with rings of pale yellow fur around the eyes. There is a pale yellow mantle across the back of the neck and shoulders. Photo: in Birt (1998).
Rainforest is the preferred habitat. Colonies can also be found in mangroves, paperbark and Eucalypt forests. No Australian colony is known to be found more than 7 km from a rainforest.
Pteropus conspicillatus feeds on more than 35 species of rainforest fruits including figs. They also feed on Eucalypt blossoms. Animals may carry fruit great distances before consuming it aiding in seed dispersal. Animals have been observed drinking by skimming over the surface of a body of water.
Reproduction Conception occurs between March and May. A single pup is born between October and December and is cared for over a period of 5 months. Once the pup is weaned, it will fly out with the adults each night, congregating in nursery trees several kilometres from the colony. The pup will return to the colony with adult flying foxes in the morning. Photo: Beste in Churchill (1998).
Source: Queensland Department of Primary Industries.
Author: C. de Jong & C. Smith.
Birt, P., Markus, N., Collins, L. & Hall, L. (1998) Nature Australia, Spring, pp. 55-59.
Churchill, S. (1998) Australian Bats, Reed New Holland, Sydney, pp. 84-85.
Hall, L. (1983) Spectacled flying fox. In R. Strahan (ed.). The Mammals of Australia, Reed Books, Chatswood, p. 282.