The following is my translation of an article called: Fliegende Hunde von Dr Kurt Floericke. It appeared in a German popular science magazine, Kosmos Handweiser für Naturfreunde 1924, Heft 2, Seiten 43-47. The original has a number of accompanying illustrations, but they declined to appear here. I'm not aware of any previous translation.
Trevor Dykes.

Flying foxes by Dr Kurt Floericke
When I spent a long while in the year 1894 on the heavenly island of Cyprus, I was more than a little and very pleasingly surprised to encounter the numerous Flying foxes at the old castle of Famagusta, and this shows that fliers, generally considered as being purely tropical dwellers, are also residents in temperate zones, and could be considered as semi-European. I naturally did not then know that my discovery was not entirely new as, in 1887, the famous Palestine researcher, Lord Bilford, had already found a Flying fox on Cyprus. Nevertheless, it was a very remarkable sight, to watch dozens of these fabulous animals hanging like giant pears or smoked hams on the horizontal branches of old trees, or to see them, by the fall of dusk, with their slowly beating wings like crows, as they moved through fig orchards. As pronouncedly nocturnal animals, Flying foxes, as with bats, dream away almost the whole day in imposing quiet. As a rule, they hang fast on only their rear paws while the others lay pointing up from the head across the breast, so that the neck is the lowest point of the downwards hanging body. The body is wrapped tightly in the large flight membrane, like a coat around the body of a frosty night watchman, and the erect ears seem to provide the only connection with events in the outside world. The extraordinary society only rarely becomes completely silent. Namely, when the morning dew has saturated them, the animals much like flapping around for half-an-hour or so, so as to get dry again in the sunshine. Later, now this one or that one will soon clean its flight membranes, and seek to freshen them by smearing oily secretions from glands, which keep them even and ready for use. And after this complex and most carefully executed activity, the Flying fox will testingly stretch its wings fully, as if wanting to convince itself that everything is now in pristine working order. When one of the animals must answer a call of nature, it grips the supporting branch with its front claws and brings itself into a horizontal position until its business is accomplished. The animals hang so tightly to branches with their sharp claws, that even a well aimed shot will rarely bring them down; mostly, they die in a hanging position without falling off.

Flying foxes earn their name as, indeed, the head, with its sharp snout and the soft, good natured eyes is pronouncedly fox-like*, and their melancholy expression is already sufficient to betray the old Märlein ties which associated these large flying animals with gluttonous blood sucking. (A genus from Ambonia has even received the scientific name of Harpyia.) (*Additional note: Peculiarities of language make the relevant footnote appear odd. The usual German name is Flughund: 'flight dog', and that's the animal they're compared with in the original text. Footnote: "Ihre Ähnlichkeit mit einem Fuchskopf hat ihnen auch den Namen 'fliegende Füchse' oder Flugfüchse eingetragen." 'Their similarity with a fox head has also brought about the names 'Flying foxes' or 'Flight foxes'.) Nevertheless, the size of these somewhat unusual and sinister looking animals is initially astonishing. For example, the kalong of Java (Ptropus celaeno [edulis]) has a wingspan of almost 1.5m for a body length of 40cm, so its wings are comparable to those of a large bird of prey. If a number of these shocking animals fall down at the same time, then they will climb in worry and need and, should they find no other way of reaching a raised point for take off, then they would even clamber up a person and their sharp claws could accidentally scratch painfully; and worried mothers could fall into shock and reach the conclusion, that the Flying fox was violently attacking in its anxiety. All the many horror stories told earlier about the vampire nature of Flying foxes were based on such misunderstandings. In reality, they are very harmless and peaceful beings, not in the least predatory, and they are biologically sharply distinct from genuine bats, in that they are overwhelmingly fruit eaters. The nature of their teeth is in harmony with this as, while the large, sharp canines lend something of a vicious appearance, the bluntly coned and flat cheek teeth, with their almost even chewing surfaces, clearly illustrate a diet of plants. In youth, the teeth are more reminiscent of the sharp-coned ones of bats. This shows that we are not dealing with a dentition originally specialised for plants -the sharp canines and serrations on cheek teeth already speak against that- but this is what the dentition becomes with use. The flight capabilities of these animals are also appropriate for their ways of gathering food. As they are not dependant upon hunting insects, they have no need for lightning quick turns and curves as bats have, and they never exhibit the odd crumpled flight of their smaller cousins. But they must have the stamina for prolonged flight, as they often have roosting places that are far from sources of food. Flying foxes in the air always reminded me closely of sweeping crows, as the flight of both has much similarity. We know from the reports of travellers that Flying foxes are not afraid to regularly cross the sea straits of Malacca. When wheeling in mass above the tops of the trees on moonlit, tropical nights, or flying one behind the other, they must provide a most attractive picture. -The long clawed thumb of the front limbs is very noticeable, and the tri-boned, similarly clawed index finger is still more characteristic; the other fingers have but two bones and are clawless. Between the thighs, the flight membrane simply continues as a fringe and, therefore, the tail is only short or completely absent. The horrible extensions of the nose and the adventurous giant ears of many bats do not occur with Flying foxes; and this makes the impression left by their elongated faces much pleasanter. Young Flying foxes are dressed with a long, loose fur, but this is later exchanged for short, smooth-lying hair.

Fruit planters hate Flying foxes greatly, as they mercilously plunder orchards and banana plantations, and they produce much destruction during the night as apes and parrots are keen to do during the day. And, in the manner of apes, they wreck more than they can actually eat. When confronted with great plenty, they become very fussy with their choice of food, take only the tenderest and juiciest and, of these, they will only have a few bites or suck the juice out. Their requirement for food is prodigious. The English researcher, Dobson, reports that a small, only 30g in weight Flying fox of the Cynopterus genus can consume a peeled banana of 60g weight within 3 hours. The body of this animal is a sort of millstone system through which the food supply runs without undergoing great change. Figs, dates, bananas, mangos, Daleb palm, sycamore and guavas are all sought out, and some blossoms will be eaten as well. Where palm trees have been drilled in order to obtain palm wine, the Flying foxes will greedily make for the vessels left hanging in the crowns by natives, and they will drink so manically on such opportunities, that the angry natives will often find them drunk in the pots. The way they take water is that they will hang onto a suitable branch above it, and then lick themselves full in a dog-like manner. Despite their otherwise very sociable habits, they are extremely envious with food and argue constantly, with much screeching and barking, over the choicest bites. Each attempts to gain an especially beautiful fruit and, so as to eat it in peace, it will hang by one foot and hold the fruit in a suitable position for the mouth with the other. In efforts to protect at least a part of their harvest, planters cover particularly valuable trees entirely with large nets. But these do not always help, as Flying foxes can often creep in from below. As well as their mainly plant diet, they will also not refuse moths, bird eggs and young birds; animals will willingly take meat should no suitable fruits be available. Shortt even encountered Flying foxes as fish-eaters; the animals flew across still water and grabbed fish swimming at the surface with their feet, and they then ate them on a neighbouring tree. At dawn, the Flying foxes return together to their roosting places, and do so along recognised flight lanes in the manner of our crows. At the roost, as with flocks of sparrows and starlings, there is again much argument and screaming; each wants to gain a protected position. The angry animals hiss at each other like furious geese, but there are also twittering and screeching noises to be heard. In some tropical areas, the Flying foxes are so common, that hundreds can collect on a single large tree, and the branches bend beneath the load. Their pungent Musk ox scent fills the entire air, and on often first notices them due to the stench. The whole floor beneath the trees is covered with their foul smelling droppings, and this would provide a very valuable guano, should one actually require fertilizer for fields in these happy lands. One shot sends the entire shocking and hot-blooded company into the greatest confusion as they climb, swing, crawl and hang themselves into chaos, preventing one another from stretching out their wings and taking off, and this provides a highly unusual and constantly fascinating spectacle. The Flying fox does not take off from ground level; it must first climb to a higher, free standing place. One can first really appreciate the quantities of these animals in the tropics when one sees a swarm passing for half-an-hour in the morning or evening, and these are often so thick, that the sky darkens due to their bodies.

The natives capture Flying foxes either with nets or with cotton sacks fixed to long bamboo poles which they sweep against the fruit trees, or they shoot them with blow pipes. Europeans naturally prefer hunting with rifles; there is hardly a flight shot easier than the relaxed movement through the air of a sailing Flying fox. It is also very sensitive to wounds; the lightest damage to the flight membrane is enough to rob it of balance and bring it to fall. Then, it may attempt to limp to its escape, or perhaps to resist capture with energetic bites and scratches. The repulsive musk smell of its urine, of which a rich quantity is produced, causes the whole body to stink so much, that Europeans are deterred from adding it to their menus, but the natives in many places declare roast Flying fox to be welcome and tasty. One of the specimens of Flying fox therefore has the scientific name of edulis (= edible). In the interests of science, and after recovering from the initial revulsion, I myself have tried this unique game meat, and found it smelt and tasted unpleasantly sweet but, should the animal be carefully prepared just after death, then these problems disappear; then it tastes rather like pork.

Flying foxes are more suitable for captivity than bats, as they are fruit-eaters and thus easier to feed. A varied diet of dates, grapefruit, cherries and pears can keep them healthy for years, especially when a daily drink is provided from a saucer of milk, which they lap up eagerly. They are less partial to apples and plums; cooked rice, meat and bread soaked with milk can be accepted, but only when nothing else is available. Some grow very tame, and willingly allow themselves to be stroked and tickled, whereas others remain ready to bite and unlovable for their life. Nevertheless, I would not want to recommend keeping them as pets indoors, as their largely nocturnal lifestyle would make them thoroughly boring chaps, and real stinkers to boot. But they are largely stars in zoos, and are always pleasing sights for astonished visitors. But even there, they can hardly be afforded chances to use their powers of flight, and must be denied one of their important aspects of living; the consequences of this are injuries, abscesses and ulcerations of the delicate wing, which will arise sooner or later. Nevertheless, various zoos have already achieved bringing Flying foxes to reproduction, namely the attractive Rousette bat (Rousettus [Cynonyctiris] collaris) from South Africa. The single youngster was born after a 3.5 month pregnancy. The female hung on all fours and stretched her wings far out, and this ensured the youngster was caught as it emerged, and able to clasp tightly to the mother, who then returned to the usual roosting position. The very slowly developing juvenile clung to the mother for a full four months, it was protectviely wrapped in her wing and carried along on every flight. And also later, at the least sign of danger, the little thing fled back to mother. When Rosenberg once shot at an exceptionally low flying female Flying fox in Sumatra, a small baby fell down through the air from one of her teats; however, before it reached the ground, the mother had dived down with lightning speed, caught it with her teeth, rose back into the air, and hurried away with her rescued child.

As a conclusion to this article, it could be of interest to read what one of our members, Herr Lörsing from Java, writes. As well as reproducing two of his fine photographs, which accompany his letter, we will also take the following: The small, steep-cliffed island of Mandelika off the north coast of Central Java is home to a native lighthouse keeper with family and servants -and also thousands of Flying foxes or kalongs (Pteropus edulis). In suitable spots, the trees are hung full of these large flying animals, as it they were carrying odd fruits. The Flying foxes do not, as might be expected for such nocturnal animals, seek out protected places in shadows, rather they much more opt for the best lit branches, and the tropical sun burns down onto their fur for the whole day, and the strong sea breezes make their bodies wave and swing like pieces of laundry hung out on the line. One shot brings life to the company: Screeching, they flap around like swarms of crows in Europe. During this, they allow views of some remarkable aerial acrobatics: This is not the fluttering of their smaller ordinal associates then, like buzzards, they can sweep quietly and execute circles. Should a kalong want to hang, it first swoops over tee branch it has its eye set upon, while grasping round it with the backwards directed claws of its rear feet; then it simply lets itself fall forwards while softening the fall with its wings. At sundown, the Flying foxes move off across the narrow stretch of sea to the beach of Java, where they divide up and feast through the night on various fruits, and especially on wild figs. Only the endlessly fertile nature of the tropics could feed such a mass of burningly hungry stomachs without going bankrupt. In the morning, the kalongs usually return to their roosting trees on the island, but they will sometimes remain on Java for an especially rich fruit tree or in stormy weather during the rainy season. At certain times, large swarms of finch-like birds also spend the night on Mandelika, namely Rice birds (Spermestes oryzivora). From the lighthouse I could also see into the occupied aerie of a Sea eagle (it could have been Haliaetus leucogaster with its white coloured belly, K.F.), which stood atop of a massive winong tree (Tetrameles nudivora). Otherwise, the only large animals found in numbers at home on the island are giant snakes (Python sp.), which one has attempted to eradicate as they attack domestic birds.

An index of more of my translations of old Kosmos articles can be found at:

Kosmos Translations Archive

A number of Mesozoic (and post-Mesozoic) location summaries can be found at Localities.