Black-eared flying fox vs Gharial

Pteropus melanotus compared with Gavialis gangeticus

Key Differences

Black-eared flying fox is Vulnerable while Gharial is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-eared flying fox	Gharial
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Pteropus melanotus	Gavialis gangeticus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-eared flying fox and Gharial share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Black-eared flying fox

VU — Vulnerable

Gharial

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~650

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-eared flying fox	Gharial
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	60 years
Average Length	—	5.0 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-eared flying fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Gharial

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India and Nepal. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Black-eared flying fox

The Black-eared flying fox (Pteropus melanotus) is a species in the genus Pteropus. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.