Check out this video of a Maldivian flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) cruising by before sunset. These large fruit bats (wingspan up to 1 m or 3 feet!) are the only native mammals on many atolls. Key ecological role: primary pollinators of native trees like coconut (Cocos nucifera) and seed dispersers for species including Pandanus and Calophyllum. Their decline would impact forest regeneration across the archipelago. Two Pteropus species occur here; both listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red Lis

Meet the Pacific flying fox (Pteropus tonganus), a keystone species here in the Pacific islands! 🦇 What does a bat have to do with the coastal ocean, you might ask? Bats are among the most effective, and often the only, dispersers of many large-seeded plant species. They are critical to maintaining plant diversity in and across the islands, which in turn impacts coastal habitats above and below the water. We're sharing this Pacific flying fox in celebration of #BatWeek, an annual awareness camp