Flying Foxes

On one of our walks through the Adelaide Botanic Park, we came across strange things hanging in the trees.

 

As the weather warms up, you might notice Adelaide’s Grey-headed Flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) becoming more active. These flying-foxes, also known as fruit bats, have not always been residents of Adelaide. Grey-headed Flying-foxes have been recorded intermittently in South Australia for many decades, with a permanent camp only becoming established in Adelaide from 2010. Since 2010, Grey-headed Flying-fox numbers increased substantially, with a peak of around 22,000 in 2018, and down to 17,000 in January 2019.The Grey-headed Flying-fox is a relatively new resident of Adelaide; some even refer to them as refugees as they moved to South Australia in response to food shortages in their natural range on the East coast. They arrived here in 2010, setting up a colony in the Adelaide Park Lands and can often be seen in the city and inner suburban skies throughout the warmer months.

 

A highly intelligent, social and caring mammal, the Grey-headed Flying-fox is a keystone species, meaning many plants rely on them to spread pollen and seeds. 
They appear to kill the trees where they sleep and nest.