Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
Habitat
This species inhabits tropical and subtropical forests, orchards, and urban areas in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They prefer areas with abundant fruit trees and roosting sites like caves or tree hollows, often at elevations up to 1,000 meters.
Diet
Horsfield's fruit bat primarily feeds on fruits such as figs, bananas, and mangos, supplemented by nectar and pollen from flowers. They forage at night using echolocation, playing a key role in seed dispersal by consuming ripe fruits and excreting seeds.
Behavior
These bats are nocturnal and social, roosting in small groups of up to 20 individuals in trees, caves, or buildings during the day. They exhibit territorial behavior around feeding sites and use echolocation for navigation and foraging, with males sometimes performing display flights during mating.
Conservation Status
Horsfield's fruit bat is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a stable population trend, though habitat loss due to deforestation and urbanization poses a significant threat.