Human-Sized Bats From the Philippines: Viral Photo Is Real [See Image]

An unbelievable photo of a human-sized bat made the rounds on social media in 2020. Many thought it was edited. However, there are actual human-sized bats in the Philippines.

Human-Size Bat Viral Photo

A post on Twitter from user @AlexJoestar622 about a human-sized bat in 2020 resurfaced earlier this year. In his post, he said he was talking about the creature when he mentioned human-sized bats in the Philippines.

The post went viral, and many were not convinced it was real. Several accused him of editing the photos.

Ronald Toro said it was a "goody try to fake" the snap. He claimed the tiny cable would have been broken if the human-sized bat was real due to its weight.

Another alleged that it was Photoshop due to the hair, light source, lack of shadow, and string not bending despite the weight.

Meanwhile, another said it was "terrifying." A different commenter suggested that it could be a serious inspiration for new horror genre films.

In another shot, the person who uploaded the snap said it was called the giant golden-crowned flying fox and can be found in the Philippines. It reportedly has a wingspan of 1.7 meters (5.58 feet). He clarified that despite their size, the bats are vegetarian and consume fruit primarily.

In another tweet, he apologized for using the adjective "human-sized," noting that it was how the bat was described to him for a very long time. He added that it's endangered, and the purpose of the tweet was to share stuff and educate.

What's The Golden-Crowned Flying Fox?

A golden-crowned flying fox is the biggest bat in the world, and it is endemic in the Philippines, per ATI. The thought of human-sized bats is pretty scary. Thankfully, the golden-crowned survives on a vegan diet.

With a wingspan of up to five and a half feet and colonies that can contain up to 10,000 members, this massive species of megabat is the biggest bat in the globe.

The bat's body is small despite its large wingspan. The frightening-looking monsters aren't even longer than one foot, ranging from seven to 11.4 inches.

The omnivorous animal normally forks at dark for anything from figs to ficus leaves, consuming about one-third of its weight each night. It feeds primarily on fruits. It sleeps and roosts in the treetops during the daytime amid sizable clusters of its brethren.

Only three of the 1,300 bat species are known to eat blood, which may shock some.

These bats are also highly intelligent, on par with domestic dogs. Flying foxes were trained to pull a lever to obtain food for three and a half years in one research, after which they could recall the behavior.

Huge golden-crowned flying foxes do not use echolocation like many other bats do. These insects fly exceptionally effectively, thanks to their keen senses of sight and smell. They also have a positive impact on the environment as a whole.

Ironically, although these bats are quite safe and don't threaten us, they are imperiled by human activity such as deforestation and poaching, per Bat Conservation International.

Because it is endemic to the Philippine islands, the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox cannot be found anywhere else. The main risks to this bat are intense habitat loss and hunting pressure. Additionally, they are particularly vulnerable to roost site disturbance, which makes them anxious enough to leave pups at roosts.

Check out more news and information on Animals in Science Times.