Meet The Biggest Bat In The World, The Golden-Crowned Flying Fox (Video & Pictures)

The giant golden-crowned flying fox gets its species name from the golden fur around the head, in sharp contrast to the black body. Like all other fruit bats, they have no tail. They are among the largest bats, with a wingspan of 1.5–1.7 m (4 ft 10 in–5 ft 7 in) and weighing 0.7–1.2 kg (1.5–2.6 lb). The only other bats with comparable measurements are a few species of Pteropus.

Little is known about the behavior of these impressive bats because the area they inhabit is so remote. They have been recorded at elevations from sea level to 1,100 m (3,600 ft). They make crazy journeys to find food (their favorite being figs) and will fly 25 miles or more in ONE NIGHT to fill their bellies. Another hard reason to find these guys is that they don't put up with any humans (could you blame them?) and in a study conducted in 2005 NO bats were found living in inhabited areas. Another study found them to be forest obligate species, meaning that they stay hidden in the forest a majority of their time.