Ang laki itong paniki! Although, I guess I can’t say for certain if this is the local name for the Giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus). Where my parents are from, paniki just means bat.

Anywho, I just wanted to highlight another of the great living treasures of the Philippines that I was able to take pictures of. A. jubatus is widely reported to be the largest of the Flying Foxes. But there are several other contenders. In fact, this species tends to form colonial roosts with another big fruit bat, the obviously named Large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus).

Like many things in the Philippines, both bats have been subject to overhunting and habitat destruction. It would be a shame to lose such pretty members of the Philippine fauna.

*I didn’t notice until after I took the picture, but it seems that there are a couple spiders on the bat. It seemed unperturbed; I guess it’s not arachanophobic.

Links-

Dietary habits of two threaten co-roosting flying foxes (Megachioptera), Subic Bay, Philippines (pdf)