Size	1.5-2 feet in wingspan
Weight	10-12 oz.
Conservation Status	On the 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Rodrigues fruit bat is listed as Critically Endangered.
Diet	In the wild, these bats eat wild figs, guavas, bananas, breadfruits, mangoes, papayas, and other aromatic ripe fruits, and the flowers and leaves of many local and introduced plant species. In the Zoo, they eat fruit nectar fortified with vitamins and minerals, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Geographic Range	These bats live solely on Rodrigues Island, in the Indian Ocean about 900 miles east of Madagascar.
Where to find me in the Zoo	Rare Animal Conservation Center

Longevity

In captivity, the average lifespan of this bat seems to be about 20 years.  Their lifespan in the wild is currently unknown.

Behavior

The Rodrigues fruit bats are very social, roosting in large colonies in the tops of emergent trees (the tallest trees in the forest).  They leave the roost at twilight to feed, and return to the roost around dawn.  During the night, feeding bouts are interspersed with resting that usually takes place near the feeding site.  They are not echolocators, but use their eyesight for travel and to search for food.  Males will vocalize, nip, or strike with their wings to defend breeding, roosting, and feeding territories from other male bats.

Reproduction

They exhibit a harem-type of mating system.  Dominant males maintain their territories around feeding and roosting sites, but females have been observed mating with both territorial and non-territorial males.

Gestation lasts for approximately 150 days, after which a single pup is born.  In the wild, pups are born between August and February, but in the Zoo births are not seasonal.  At birth, the newborn weighs 1-1.5 ounces, and has well-developed claws to help it cling to its mother's abdomen.  Pups are totally dependent on mothers until they are weaned at 70-100 days, and they remain in a close relationship with their mother for the first year.

Rodrigues Fruit Bat Conservation

In the 1970's, the entire world population of Rodrigues fruit bats (named for the island that makes up their only native habitat) had dropped to less than 100.  Today, the species is in rebound, thanks in part to The Rodrigues Environmental Educator Project, which works with school, community, government and business groups to encourage and support Rodrigues' unique plants and animals.  The Educator Project was initiated in 1998 by The Philadelphia Zoo, and today is supported by a consortium of U.S. zoos, bat conservation organizations, and private donors.