Fruit bats – excellent vision pollinators

Fruit bats are also known as flying foxes. Those nomadic animals like the northern parts of Australia, but they also live in Victoria, NSW and South Australia. 

We often see them during our trips. Yes, they smell. We often know they are close without seeing them due to their natural stinky odour. However, we also know they do a really good job with pollination and seed propagation. So, in a sense, we treat them like big, smelly bees. I’m joking of course. 

The place where we often spot them in very big numbers is Mataranka in Northern Territory. At dusk, thousands of bats get active after a long day of hanging heads down in the palm trees. 

They move to fly great distances to find something to eat. Flying foxes are after fruit, nectar and pollen. They pollinate flowers of over 50 Australian trees. Also, they help growing new forests by dispersing the seeds from the fruits they eat.

There are four species of fruit bats in Australia:  Black, Grey-headed, Spectacled and Little Red. 

Bats carry rare diseases and should be admired from a distance.

Where spotted:  Katherine Gorge, Elsey National Park, Windjana Gorge WA

Fruit Bats

Fruit bats Mataranka

Fruit bats Katherine

Fruit bats Katherine

Fruit Bats (flying foxes) – more information

Find out more information about Fruit Bats (flying foxes)

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