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STRAW-COLOURED FRUIT BAT Eidolon helvum
Identification Its large size, dog-like face and yellowish straw-
coloured fur make this species unmistakable. An orange neck collar is
often present in males.
Size Wingspan 75 cm.
Habitat and Behaviour Although this is mainly a species of the
African tropics, it is recorded fairly regularly in western Yemen and
adjacent south-western Saudi Arabia. It is a highly migratory species,
and it is not clear whether this population is resident or whether it
moves into the area as part of the dispersal that takes place from
the Congo Basin and its fringes. In Africa it forms colonies numbering
hundreds of thousands, and even millions. Records indicate that the
largest number counted in a Yemeni roost was 20.
Distribution and Status This species is found in western Yemen and
south-western Saudi Arabia, and has been recorded along the Nile
River.