Krylan or, as it is also called, a flying dog is a mammal of the order of bats. Sometimes they are also called flying foxes. All representatives of this group of bats, unlike bats, inhabit exceptionally warm regions: South and West Africa, Australia, South Asia and its islands and Oceania (in particular, Samoa and the Caroline Islands). Flying dogs live in the Maldives, Syria, southern Japan and southern Iran. In Russia, this species of animals is completely absent.
Who are these unusual animals?
Even the mention of bats causes negative emotions for many. For many years, they were considered vampires, devil's helpers, or simply vile animals. These animals are unlikely to cause strong disgust. Moreover, many admirers of them believe that a flying dog can be great.pet.
Muzzles of fruit bats are very similar to dogs or foxes. The structure of their skull is in some way similar to the structure of the skull of lower primates. The largest individuals have a wingspan of 150-170 cm. They use them as a blanket in cold weather, and in the heat they use it as a fan. The sizes of different species differ significantly, the length ranges from 5 to 40 centimeters. Weight, respectively, varies from 15 to 900 grams. The flying dog has teeth that are adapted only to plant foods. The fruit bat's tongue is covered with papillae, and in small representatives of this species it is also very long. Bats have a well-developed sense of smell and vision. The color of the flying dog is usually dark brown, however, there are individuals with a greenish, yellowish tinge or with white spots on the wings. Males are brighter in color, while females are smaller and much more modest in color.
Features of the species
The flying dog has one interesting feature - it does not have a tail. Some other species have it, but it is very small. And only one representative of fruit bats has a luxurious tail, for which it was called the long-tailed fruit bat. Flying foxes also have rather unusual paws: a tenacious and long claw and the last phalanx are present only on the first and much less often on the second finger. The interfemoral membrane is underdeveloped in many species. The intestines of a flying dog are 4 times longer than its body.
Animals have a well-developed sense of smell, but only some of them use echolocation (in particular, the genusrosetus) in order to navigate in space. The sounds that fruit bats make are also very original. Rosetus, for example, give a voice, which is like a tick, when taking off and landing.
Types of flying dogs
The fruit bats are divided into many types. For example, the Egyptian flying dog. Despite its name, this species is distributed not only in Egypt, but also throughout almost the entire African continent, as well as in Pakistan, the Middle East, and northern India. Due to its cute appearance, this species is preferred by some people as pets. This is due to the fact that they do not have an unpleasant odor and are easy to train. In addition to the Egyptian fruit bat, there is also the Comorian, hollow-backed, prehensile-tailed, Madagascar, Ugandan flying dog.
Lifestyle
Activity in animals is observed only with the advent of night. During the day, they hang on the branches of trees, where they look like a bunch of dry leaves or a strange tropical fruit. They may also rest in caves, rock crevices, attics, and hollows. However, it should be noted that fruit bats are active during the day. Flying foxes do not hibernate. Fruit bats can travel up to 100 km overnight.
A flying dog (bat or fox) is a social animal. They live mainly in colonies, which sometimes reach 1000 individuals. It is also noted that when feeding, they put up sentries, and in general it is customary in the flock to protect and help each other. Palm fruit bats form a group of 10,000 or more individuals,who can settle even in large cities.
Offspring
The female gives birth only once a year, producing, as a rule, one baby (very rarely two). Pregnancy on average lasts approximately 115-120 days. During childbirth, the female does not change her traditions and hangs her head down, and closes her wings, forming something like a cradle. First, the newborn falls into the wings, and then crawls to the mother's chest and clings to the nipple.
Children are born already sighted and covered with hair. Until the time when the cub learns to fly, the mother carries it with her. Breastfeeding ends approximately when the baby reaches 3 months of age. Grown up individuals are poisoned with their mother to hunt. To prevent the cub from getting lost, the female gives him a signal using ultrasound. Fruit bats reach sexual maturity at about 9 months.
Food
The flying dog eats tropical fruits such as mango, avocado, coconut, banana, guava, papaya and others. They pluck the fruits right on the fly or hanging side by side on one leg. They eat the pulp or drink the juice. Small fruit bats feed on pollen or nectar of flowers. Tube-nosed flying dogs, in addition to fruits, also eat insects. Animals also drink water, sometimes even sea water. Thus, they are likely to compensate for the lack of s alt in the food consumed.
Lifespan
Information about the life expectancy of animals is rather scarce. For someIt is believed that under natural conditions they can live for about 7-8 years. In captivity, they usually live up to 17-20 years, but there is also a record holder who has already exceeded 25 years.
Meaning for a person
Some tribes eat flying fox meat. Fruit bats significantly help disperse seeds, and nectarivorous species are able to pollinate plants. Examples of such plants are the sausage tree and the baobab. However, despite the great benefits of flying dogs, they often cause harm to garden tree plantations.
Human activity leads to a gradual reduction in the population of flying dogs. There are fewer and fewer places left for fruit bats for daytime sleep. Many countries are concerned about this situation, and therefore they are conducting many activities to preserve this species.
