Not many people are fans of even the most average-sized bat so you can only imagine the reaction when one Twitter user, @AlexJoestar622, posted a photo of a 'human-sized' bat hanging from his carport.
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The bat is a giant golden crowned flying fox whose name is almost as big as he is and just like many giant faunas in the Philippines, it is a native species. The poster, @AlexJoestar622 wrote:
Remember when I told y’all about the Philippines having human-sized bats? Yeah, this was what I was talking about.
While the giant golden crowned flying fox is the largest species of bat in the world, calling it human-sized is a bit of an exaggeration. This species reaches up to just a few feet tall, and the perspective of the image forces us to see a giant bat. But, the wingspan of this beast is what makes it really big as its wings can reach up to 5.5ft, easily the size of a person.
Still, for many, any bat big or small would be enough to scare the pants off them. Luckily, there is nothing to fear with this big guy as the giant golden crowned flying foxes are actually a frugivore eating only fruits. Actually, these creatures have a particular taste for figs and we can't blame them, figs are delicious.
This species of bat is also endangered and is a protected species in the Philippines due to hunting and deforestation and destroying the bat's natural homes. This has caused little guys like the one in the picture to sometimes take up temporary roost in someone else's residence.
The image posted on Twitter has already gained thousands of views and has generated some hilarious comments from the public. One person stated:
Another stated:
And of course, Australia just had to chime in: