Description
The Samoan Flying Fox (Pteropus tonganus) is a mammal indigenous to Samoa. It inhabits tropical moist forests and coastal areas of the samoan archipelago.
Habitat
Extended Data
Taxonomy
Fun Facts
The Samoan flying fox is one of the largest bat species with a wingspan of up to 1.5 meters (5 feet)
Despite their name, they don't actually fly — they glide using a membrane stretched between elongated finger bones, the same structure as all bats
Flying foxes are crucial pollinators and seed dispersers for tropical forests — many tree species depend entirely on bats for reproduction
In Samoan culture, the flying fox (pe'a) is a traditional food source and appears in Samoan tattoo (tatau) motifs
They navigate using excellent eyesight rather than echolocation, making them 'megabats' distinct from the smaller insect-eating microbats