Caroline Flying Fox vs Common Peony

Pteropus molossinus compared with Paeonia officinalis

Key Differences

• Caroline Flying Fox is Endangered while Common Peony is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Caroline Flying Fox	Common Peony
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Saxifragales (Saxifragales)
Family	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)	Paeoniaceae
Genus	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)	Paeonia
Species	Pteropus molossinus	Paeonia officinalis

Conservation Status

Caroline Flying Fox

EN — Endangered

Common Peony

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Caroline Flying Fox	Common Peony
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Caroline Flying Fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Peony

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Caroline Flying Fox

The Caroline Flying Fox (Pteropus molossinus) is a species in the genus Pteropus. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Peony

<em>Paeonia officinalis</em>, the common peony, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Paeoniaceae, widely cultivated for its large, showy flowers ranging from deep red to pink and white. In the wild, it typically grows in open woodlands, scrublands, and rocky hillsides across southern and central Europe, with native or naturalised populations documented in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Canada, and numerous other European and North American countries. The species prefers well-drained soils in partially shaded to open positions and produces large, deeply divided leaves alongside its ornamental blooms, which appear in late spring. <em>Paeonia officinalis</em> has a long history of medicinal and ornamental use spanning millennia, and numerous cultivated varieties have been developed. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting stable populations in many parts of its native range, though wild populations can be locally threatened by over-collection, agricultural expansion, and habitat conversion. Biological traits such as average lifespan of individual plants, precise dimensions, and detailed dietary or metabolic data remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The species plays a role in supporting pollinators, particularly beetles and bees that visit its flowers.