Lifespan
15 years in the wild,
up to 30 years under human care
Wildlife Reserves Singapore Group
Lifespan
up to 30 years under human care
Diet
flowers and fruit.
Habitat
and secondary forests and swamps.
Range
and insular Southeast Asia.
Their toe claws provide such a powerful grip they can hang on with one foot while feeding with the other! Slicing the rind with their teeth, they extract the fruit with their long tongue, which is also used to lap up the juices.
The thumb claw is used as a hook to help them move along branches. Males also use it to set-tle turf wars. Highly territorial by nature, they communicate ownership by spreading their wings, growling, or making hostile noises.
Many rainforest animals are threatened by deforestation, habitat degradation, and the illegal wildlife trade. Other than deforestation and decreasing roosting sites, the Malayan flying fox also faces increasing pressure from being unsustainably hunted for food. Visit our conservation pages for more information on projects that WRS supports, and to find out how you can get involved too.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
At relatively low risk of extinction
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
At high risk of extinction in the wild
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Survives only in captivity
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity
