Bats of the
genus Pteropus, belonging to the
megabat suborder, Megachiroptera, are the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as the
fruit bats or
flying foxes among other colloquial names. They live in the
tropics and subtropics of Asia (including the Indian subcontinent), Australia, East Africa, and a number of remote oceanic islands in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans. At least 60
extant species are in this genus.