LITTLE RED FLYING FOX

Pteropus scapulatus

An adult male little red flying-fox in the care of Gerry Hawkins in Nowra NSW.

DESCRIPTION:

The little red flying-fox is the smallest of our Australian flying-foxes, so named because the short fine fur is predominantly reddish brown to light brown in colour. The head has greyish fur which sometimes extends down the back, and many individuals - as in the photo above - also have a creamy yellow patch on the back of the neck and shoulders (particularly where it meets the propatagium). The legs are sparsely furred or naked, but perhaps the most distinctive feature of these animals are their translucent reddish-brown wing membranes - appearing semi-transparent in flight during the day. This reddish brown colouration is also quite apparent on nearly all areas of exposed skin such as inner ears, thumbs, fingers, outer arms, elbows, and most of the leg.

WEIGHT: 300 - 500 grams. H & B LENGTH: 195 - 235 mm. FOREARM: 120 - 140 mm

DISTRIBUTION:

Distribution range of the Little-red flying-fox1

The most widespread and nomadic of all Australian flying-foxes, the little red ranges from Shark Bay in WA right around the top of Australia, and down the east coast to northern Victoria. Little reds also range a vast distance inland; following the flowering along water courses in dry arid areas. They have even been recorded as far inland as northern SA in 1968 & 1986, but the record must surely go to one wind blown little stray who was recorded as far away as New Zealand in 1927. In coastal areas they are also nomadic, but can be seasonal with the more reliable flowering of coastal eucalypts. This species also occurs extralimitally on the southern coast of Papua New Guinea.

In total, the distribution of little red flying-foxes extends throughout an area in excess of 3.5 million square kilometres2

HABITAT & ROOSTING:

These highly nomadic animals move purely according to food availability. In early summer, they can congregate in camps of up to 1,000,000 individuals, packing so closely together that they can literally break branches with sheer weight of numbers. A really distinctive feature of the little reds' roosting behaviour is this tight clumping together; body to body, rather than hanging close but individually, as with other species. No other Australian species of flying-fox clusters in this way and there are reports of branches of up to 20 cms in diameter breaking under the pressure. Camps are occupied on a much more temporary basis than the other species - sometimes only occupying for 4 - 6 weeks at a time before moving on. Their habitat range is broad, including semi-arid areas, tropical and temperate myrtaceous forest, paperbark swamp, and monsoon forest. Camps are frequently located beside water.

DIET:

Being mainly nectivorous, little reds are dietary specialists, and blossom from most trees and shrubs within their range is on the menu. Eucalypt flowering is very unpredictable from one year to the next, and their nomadic lifestyle takes advantage of local flowering and climatic conditions. Fruit, sap, and insects are included in their normal diet, and cultivated fruit are also eaten during lean years.

REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE:

A little red flying-fox with her baby3

Reproductive cycles are out of phase with other Australian flying foxes by about 6 months. Mating takes place from November to January, with males acquiring harems of 2-5 females in small territories, whom they defend from other males. Gestation takes 5 months, with the young being born from April to May in largely female camps after male dispersal. Baby little reds are carried by mum for about 4 weeks, before being left in camp while she forages at night. Youngsters fly at about 8 weeks of age, and can be seen flying freely within the camp at this age. They are suckled for several months, living a semi-independent life learning the skills they need to find food themselves. When camps reform again in November, juveniles congregate together away from the adults. Little reds become sexually mature at 18 months of age, which is much earlier than with the other species.

The full male & female reproductive cycles are covered in depth here.

NOTES:

Unlike the other three species, little reds are sometimes known to leave camp before dusk, and can be seen foraging during daylight on overcast wet season days in northern Australia.

A cluster of little reds in creche3

Section last updated: 27.07.2008 9:33 AM

1. Ref: Sue Churchill.

2. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology - quoting: Radcliff, N. 1931. The flying fox (Pteropus) in Australia. CSIRO Bull, 53: 1-81.

3. Photos courtesy of Suzanne & Henry Grzegorski.

Refs: Australian Bats; - Sue Churchill.

Refs: Complete Book of Australian Mammals; - Australian Museum.