Coast Myall vs large flying fox

Acacia binervia compared with Pteropus vampyrus

Key Differences

  • Coast Myall is Least Concern while large flying fox is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Coast Myall large flying fox
Kingdom Plantae (Plants) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Mammalia (Mammals)
Order Fabales (Legumes & Allies) Chiroptera (Bats)
Family Fabaceae Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)
Genus Acacia Pteropus (Flying Foxes)
Species Acacia binervia Pteropus vampyrus

Conservation Status

Coast Myall

LC — Least Concern

large flying fox

NT — Near Threatened

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Coast Myall large flying fox
Diet Herbivore
Average Lifespan 15 years
Average Length 30 cm
Average Weight 1.1 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coast Myall

Habitat

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

large flying fox

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Coast Myall

Coast myall (Acacia binervia) is a small to medium tree or tall shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to coastal and near-coastal regions of New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia. It grows in coastal heath, dry sclerophyll woodland, and scrubby vegetation on sandy or rocky substrates, often in association with banksias and eucalypts. Like most Australian wattles, coast myall produces phyllodes—flattened leaf-stalks functioning as leaves—rather than true compound leaves in mature plants. The dark green phyllodes are distinctive, with two main veins, giving rise to the species name binervia. Golden-yellow, spherical flower heads are produced in winter to spring, attracting native bees. The genus Acacia sensu lato encompasses hundreds of species across Australia and globally, many of which play important ecological roles in nitrogen cycling through root symbioses. Coast myall is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. It is sometimes planted in coastal revegetation projects for its tolerance of poor, sandy soils, drought, and salt-laden winds.

large flying fox

The world's largest bat species, large flying foxes have wingspans reaching 1.5 meters and inhabit tropical forests from Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia. Despite the alarming name, they feed exclusively on fruit and nectar, making them vital pollinators and seed dispersers for tropical forest trees. Roost in massive colonies of thousands. Listed as Vulnerable due to hunting for bushmeat and habitat destruction.

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