Last Reviewed and Updated on June 10, 2022
With over 1400 different species of bats, you might wonder what is the biggest bat in the world? Which species takes the crown? And how big exactly are the biggest bats?
Before getting a definitive answer, you should ask yourself what does “the biggest” mean? Do you have the body length and wingspan in mind or do you define it as the heaviest animal in the group? Both definitions have their own biggest champion. Read on and get all of your answers.
The largest bat in the world is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox
A name fitting for the largest bat. The Golden-crowned Flying Fox is the largest bat in the world.
It can have a wingspan of up to about 5 feet (1.5 m) which can make them quite intimidating. The length of their body is about 16 inches (40 cm), which is an impressive number as well.
They are quite heavy too and can weigh up to 2.6 pounds (1.2 kilograms). They are not the heaviest bat species though.
You might be surprised to learn these flying giants eat fruit!
The heaviest bat species is the Indian flying fox
If you define biggest by the weight of the species, the crown goes to the Indian Flying Fox.
They are a little bit smaller than the Golden-crowned Flying Fox, with their wingspans ranging from 1.2–1.5 m (3 ft 11 in – 4 ft 11 in) and a noticeably smaller body length of 15.5–22.0 cm (6.1–8.7 in).
It is their weight where they shine as they can weigh up to 3.5lb / 1.6 kg, slightly outweighing the Golden-crowned Flying Fox.
These bats too predominantly feast on fruit as well as eating nectar.
And so, now you know what is the biggest bat in the world, either by size or by weight.