Mammals
Spectacled Flying Fox
Pteropus conspicillatus · also called spectacled flying foxes
Marked by pale rings of fur around each eye, a spectacled flying fox forages through the rainforest canopy of far north Queensland, a vital seed disperser now Endangered after repeated mass deaths during the region’s increasingly extreme heatwaves.
Overview
The spectacled flying fox, Pteropus conspicillatus, is a rainforest-dependent mammal restricted to far north Queensland, New Guinea, and nearby islands. Its distinctive pale eye markings, vital role dispersing rainforest tree seeds, and repeated mass mortality during extreme heat events make it one of the more visually recognisable and urgently threatened flying foxes found anywhere in the world.
A rainforest specialist under growing threat
Confined to a narrow strip of tropical rainforest, the spectacled flying fox has become one of the clearest casualties of intensifying heatwaves, with single mass-death events sometimes killing a meaningful share of an entire local population in a single day.
Status
Endangered, having declined sharply due to habitat loss, cyclone damage, and repeated mass mortality events during extreme heatwaves.
Spectacled Flying Fox: common questions
Why is the spectacled flying fox named that?
This species has distinctive pale, yellowish fur surrounding each eye, resembling a pair of spectacles, a striking and highly recognisable feature that gives the species both its common name and its easily identifiable appearance among Australian flying foxes.
Why has the spectacled flying fox declined so severely?
This species has suffered mass mortality events during extreme heatwaves, with thousands of individuals dying at single roosting camps when temperatures exceed what the colony can tolerate, compounding pressures from habitat loss and cyclone damage to contribute to its Endangered status.
Where does the spectacled flying fox live?
This species has a comparatively restricted range found only in far north Queensland, parts of New Guinea, and a number of nearby islands, roosting in dense rainforest canopy camps often shared with other flying fox species.
Why is the spectacled flying fox important to rainforest health?
This species disperses the seeds of a wide range of rainforest tree species as it forages each night, playing an outsized role in maintaining forest diversity and supporting natural regeneration after cyclones and other disturbances.