The Madagascan flying fox is the largest of Madagascar’s three endemic species of fruit bat. The common name derives from the long pointed muzzle and ears that give the face a distinctive, ‘fox-like’ appearance. The body is brown with darker tones on the back and lighter, golden to reddish-brown tones on the chest and shoulders. The face, crown and nape are also light and more yellowish in colour, and the wings are slate-grey to black. As with almost all species of Pteropodidae, there is no obvious tail.