Mammals
Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox
Acerodon jubatus · also called golden-capped fruit bat
Hanging among thousands of roostmates in a Philippine forest canopy, a giant golden-crowned flying fox displays the golden fur patch that gives the species its name, one of the heaviest bats alive and one now fighting for survival against hunting and habitat loss.
Overview
The giant golden-crowned flying fox, Acerodon jubatus, is one of the heaviest bats in the world, endemic to rainforest and coastal forest habitat across a limited number of islands within the Philippine archipelago. Its enormous size, distinctive golden head crown, and Endangered status due to sustained hunting and habitat loss make it one of the most urgent bat conservation stories found anywhere in Southeast Asia.
A giant bat found nowhere else on Earth
Restricted entirely to the Philippines, the giant golden-crowned flying fox combines a wingspan among the largest of any bat with a population now under serious pressure, making its long-term survival dependent on protecting the lowland forest it still roosts in.
Status
Endangered, having declined significantly across the Philippines due to sustained bushmeat hunting and the ongoing loss of lowland rainforest habitat.
Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox: common questions
How big is the giant golden-crowned flying fox?
This species is among the heaviest bats on Earth by body mass, with a wingspan that can reach around 1.5 metres, making it one of the largest flying mammals found anywhere and one of the most physically imposing bats in the Philippines.
Why is it called the golden-crowned flying fox?
This species has a distinctive patch of golden-orange fur crowning the top of its head, contrasting sharply with its darker body fur, a striking feature that gives the species both its common name and a highly recognisable appearance among Philippine wildlife.
Why is the giant golden-crowned flying fox Endangered?
This species has suffered significant population declines due to sustained hunting pressure for bushmeat and the ongoing loss of lowland rainforest habitat across much of its range, leading to its classification as Endangered.
Where does the giant golden-crowned flying fox live?
This species is found nowhere else in the world outside the Philippines, native to rainforest and coastal forest habitat across a limited number of islands within the archipelago, making it a genuinely unique and irreplaceable part of the country's native mammal fauna.