Bat-tastic

I was really freaked out the first time I looked off the balcony of the cafe and noticed the enormous bats in the tree 15 to 20 feet from my face (see fig. 1).  With some research I have discovered that they are Indian Flying-foxes (Pteropus giganteus) (see fig. 2).  Every night between 7 and 8 they stomp around upside down in the trees searching for nuts and then they hang while they eat their score.  They must move on to the next feeding site after that because they seem to disappear.

Now that I have started asking around I have been told that they will fly in to the cafe to eat my fruit if I do not guard against them.  I have purchased a blue plastic bucket with a lid to store fruit at night (see fig. 3).

Not only are they a fruit bat- they are a mega fruit bat.  Holy crap they are huge things to have crawling so close to your face.  According to Wikipedia they can have wing span as big as 4ft 10 inches (1.5m) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Flying_Fox ).  Although not quite as big as an actual fox, many seem as big as another member of the canine family of the subspecies Sporticus (see fig.4) familiar to many blog readers.

(figure 1) It is almost in the centre of the picture.  Sorry for the poor quality photo.

(figure 2) A better photo.

(figure 3) My basket.

(figure 4)  Note of clarification: Indian Flying Foxes are unlikely to be seen wearing apparel made from polar fleece and Thinsulate given their tropical habitat and an inability to work snap clasps.