: any of a family (Pteropodidae of the suborder Megachiroptera) of often large tropical and subtropical Old World bats that feed on ripe fruit, pollen, and nectar and that usually use visual navigation rather than echolocation
called alsoflying fox
Illustration of fruit bat
fruit bat with fruit
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Orangutans, gibbons and monkeys were said to cruise through the trees on the property, and the roof to our small room was also home to short-nosed fruit bats.—Mihir Zaveri, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025 Marburg virus is spread by certain fruit bats to humans and other primates.—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025 But questions remain: Are other organs, such as the liver or small intestine, also involved in regulating sugar for Jamaican fruit bats?—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024 Like Ebola, the Marburg virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and can spread between individuals through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated surfaces, such as bed linens.—Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fruit bat
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