Egyptian fruit bat in exhibit

Egyptian Fruit Bat

Scientific Name
Rousettus aegyptiacus
Class
Mammalia
Order
Chiroptera
Range
Sub-saharan Africa, northern Africa, and the Middle East
Habitat
Forests, grasslands, and deserts
Estimated Wild Population
n/a
Egyptian fruit bat in exhibit Endangered Status Graph - Least Concern Endangered Status Graph - Least Concern

More Information

Egyptian fruit bats have light-brown bodies, dark brown wings, a long muzzle, and a two-foot wingspan. True to their name, these nocturnal mammals feed almost exclusively on soft fruits, such as dates, apples, and apricots. Female give birth to only one offspring, on average, after a gestation period of 105–120 days. Young bats cling to the female for around three weeks, until they can hang from branches on their own, and begin flying after three months.

Did You Know?

In Africa, Egyptian fruit bat colonies can include up to 9,000 individuals.

Bats of the Rousettus genus, including Egyptian fruit bats, are the only fruit-eating bats that navigate using echolocation.

When these bats fight over roosting spots, females, and food, the scuffle resembles boxing; they strike each other repeatedly with half-open wings.

Species Survival Plan logo

Species Survival Plan®

We cooperate with other members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to manage the zoo population of this species through a Species Survival Plan®.

Learn More

Animal Care staff working with seal

Commitment to Care

Lincoln Park Zoo prioritizes individual well-being over everything else. Guided by scientific research, staff and volunteers work to provide the best welfare outcomes for each individual in the zoo’s care.

Learn More

Support Your Zoo

Two Chilean flamingos in exhibit

Animals Depend On People Too

When you ADOPT an animal, you support world-class animal care by helping to provide specially formulated diets, new habitat elements, and regular veterinary checkups.

Adopt an Animal

Asian small-clawed otter in exhibit

Wish List

The Wish List is full of one-of-a-kind items for the zoo’s animals, including nutritious snacks and enrichment items to keep them active and healthy.

Browse the Wish List

African penguin eating a fish

Take Action With Us

Wildlife face many daunting challenges—some global, like planet-wide climate change, and some that affect individuals, like an animal ingesting plastic—but now is not the time to despair. None of these problems are too big for us to come together and solve.

Take Action

00:00
00:00
Empty Playlist