Pteropidae

Skeletal specimen of a large fruit bat in a case.

Although they look like birds, bats are actually mammals and the only ones that can truly fly; flaping their wings as a bird does. Some bats can fly over 30mph (50kph). Their arms and fingers are covered by thin sheets of muscle and skin to form the wings. A bat's "thumb" is not part of the wing - it sticks out and has a claw attatched to it that is used for grooming, grasping and sometimes fighting. The fruit bats feeds on fruit and soft plants, but other bats also eat insects.

Collection Information

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