Seychelles Flying-fox

Fascinating facts about the Seychelles Flying-fox

• Even though hunters harvest its meat on some islands, the Seychelles flying fox remains abundant, especially on Silhouette Island where it is described as particularly common. High local numbers mean the bat continues to provide a steady flow of seed dispersal services. Its abundance also signals that current hunting pressure has not yet pushed the species toward decline.
• Over the past 30 years, scientists have amassed 1,476 records of paramyxovirus prevalence or seroprevalence from 118 studies covering fruit bats worldwide. The database shows that samples from Oceania tend to have slightly higher seroprevalence than those from Asia and Africa.
• When researchers surveyed pollination on a tropical island, they logged 5,263 visits involving 327 unique plant-pollinator interactions over a three-month period, showing how densely packed pollinator networks can be on small landmasses. Although the study did not name the Seychelles flying fox specifically.
• The Seychelles flying fox roams the granitic Seychelles, the Comoros and Mafia Island,

At a glance

About the Seychelles Flying-fox

As dusk descends upon the lush islands of the Seychelles, the flying-foxes stir, their leathery wings unfolding like dark silken sails as they take to the evening skies. With a gentle whoosh, they glide effortlessly, their large eyes scanning the landscape below for the ripe fruits and nectar that sustain them, their nocturnal wanderings a testament to their adaptability and resilience. In this crepuscular world, the Seychelles flying-fox reigns supreme, a majestic creature of the night, its very existence a reminder of the beauty and wonder that still awaits us in the uncharted hours of darkness.

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