large flying fox vs Red Fox

Pteropus vampyrus compared with Vulpes vulpes

Key Differences

• large flying fox is Near Threatened while Red Fox is Least Concern.
• large flying fox is herbivore while Red Fox is omnivore.
• Red Fox is 5.5x heavier than large flying fox.
• large flying fox lives longer (15 years vs 5 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	large flying fox	Red Fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Pteropus vampyrus	Vulpes vulpes

Evolutionary Relationship

large flying fox and Red Fox share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

large flying fox

NT — Near Threatened

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	large flying fox	Red Fox
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	5 years
Average Length	30 cm	70 cm
Average Weight	1.1 kg	6.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Red Fox

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, Israel), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina).

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.

Red Fox

The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth, red foxes have colonized habitats from Arctic tundra to urban environments across the Northern Hemisphere and introduced ranges in Australia. Recognized by their russet coat, white belly, and bushy tail. Highly adaptable omnivores, red foxes eat everything from rabbits and voles to fruit and human refuse. They communicate with over 40 distinct vocalizations.