VIDEO: Largest Bat in the World Captured

Bats – you probably don’t think about them often.

They are those blind, nocturnal creatures that vampires turn into, right?

Well, yes! Except the vampire thing…

According to Live Science, bats are the only mammals that can fly. They are also among the only mammals known to feed on blood. Common misconceptions and fears about bats have led many people to regard the creatures as unclean disease carriers, but bats are actually very helpful in controlling the population of crop-destroying insects.

Now, it’s time for you to meet the world’s largest bat!

According to bodhispeak, if you ever have been to the Philippines, you would have probably heard or have been warned by the locals to not go out during the night. The ‘aswangs’ and other Filipino mythical creatures lurk in the cover of the dark looking for some tasty victims.

One of these many ‘creatures’ is the ‘kikik.’ This creature is described as looking like a giant bird bat. The ‘kikik’ prowls the night looking for pregnant women. The giant bat-like monster would devour the fetus inside the womb by using a long proboscis. While doing this abominable act, a ‘kik-kik-kik’ would be heard.

Like most folk tales and legends, the ‘kikik’ may be based on an actual animal.

Folks, let me introduce you to the ‘Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox.’ This giant bat is nocturnal and with its giant wing span and eerie sound, this animal may be the inspiration of the ‘kikkik’ and other scary mythical creatures.

One of these scary creatures was spreading fear in a small town in the Philippines. People who had the chance to encounter the giant bat flying were terrified. When the Philippine troops captured the creature, the giant bat was a sight to behold. Local people even referred to it as the ‘Chupacabra,’ a creature that feeds on the blood of animals.

The giant bat can travel at least 25 miles in a night to look for food. It feeds on figs and fruits such as puhutan, lamio, banka, tangisand, bayawak and other strangler figs – not fetus and blood like the legends say (lucky for us!).

These fruit bats have no tails, and can grow up to 1.5 to 1.7 meters in length and their wingspan can reach up to 1.8 meters. They can weigh from 0.7 to 1.2 kilograms. The Acerodon jubatus are the largest bat species in the world and they are not related to foxes as their name suggest.

These giant bats are also called the ‘Silent Planters’ because these species are known to scatter the seeds of the fruits they eat in their droppings all over their territories. This act makes giant golden-crowned flying-foxes very vital to the ecosystem.

They are known to live in colonies to avoid predators but because of their stigma as fetus-eating creatures, they are hunted to near extinction. And, the destruction of their habitat greatly reduced the numbers of these fascinating animals.

The giant bat species is listed as endangered species and there is now a conscious effort to protect, preserve and breed these fascinating creatures.