• India’s largest species of bats, named after a canine fabled to be sly, spends 7% of its day-roosting time being environmentally vigilant, a new study has said.

A keystone species is one that, concerning the size of its population, significantly affects its surroundings.

ABOUT FLYING FOX BAT (PTEROPUS GIGANTEUS)

• The nectar and fruit-eating flying fox is generally considered vermin as they raid orchards.
• It had a similar official status under the Schedule V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 until it was put on the Schedule II list, entailing a higher degree of protection.
• It is a keystone species which helps in seed dispersals of many plants in tropical systems.
• The community’s diversity and abundance of other species are influenced by the flying fox’s contribution to seed dispersal, which also affects different aspects of the environment.
• They can be found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Tibet, Maldives, and Pakistan.
• It is a highly social creature, living in large roosts of several hundred animals.
• Threats-
  • The biggest threat to the flying fox is from humans.
  • Hunting for meat and medicine and probable threats like the felling of roost trees have contributed to the dramatic decrease in the population of the species.
• IUCN Red List – Least Concern