As its common name suggests, the little red flying fox has a conspicuously reddish tinge to its fur and is one of the smallest of the Pteropus species. The fur on the head is often grey and the leathery wings are reddish-brown and appear semi-translucent in flight. This species is an efficient climber, using its jointed thumbs and its feet to clamber with great agility about the branches of a tree.