Big Finner vs Gilliard's Flying Fox

Balaenoptera physalus compared with Pteropus gilliardorum

Key Differences

• Big Finner is Endangered while Gilliard's Flying Fox is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big Finner	Gilliard's Flying Fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species	Balaenoptera physalus	Pteropus gilliardorum

Evolutionary Relationship

Big Finner and Gilliard's Flying Fox share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Big Finner

EN — Endangered

Gilliard's Flying Fox

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big Finner	Gilliard's Flying Fox
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big Finner

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Gilliard's Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Big Finner

Big Finner (Balaenoptera physalus) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.