Egyptian fruitbat

Egyptian fruitbat are strictly spoken flying foxes, allthough they are relatively small in size.
Easiest way to tell bat from flying foxes is by the shape of their heads. While real bats look like martians, flying foxes look like dogs. Or foxes.



Building an enclosure for those animals is fairly simple and straight-forward, allthough some aspects have to be kept in mind. As with all my enclosures i start constructing a frame. This construction is designed to hold the cavy's and hamster as well, so it's devided in two. Next step is to bring the both floors in place, and to add the top/ceiling, Notice the central-heating-system tubes in the corner. Those will provide some extra heating, allthough not necessary. Two panels are used to cover these.



Next step is to add the side panels. A mesh-screen is placed at the short end of the enclosure, and at the large end two doors are installed. This completes the enclosure.



Most important is to give them enough grip on sides and ceiling as they typically will be 'hanging around' alot! Therefore some more information on how to build those panels. All panels are made exactly the same way. The mesh is to be attached to the panels as tight as possible. It is best to use mesh covered with plastic otherwise the urine will oxidate the mesh. Use high-quality paint for the nails will scratch the surface. It's supposed to because this way the nails won't grow too long.


Final step in progress is to add a couple of animals. The male is somewhat larger that the female. As with all animals fresh water has to be provided daily, allthough i doubt if they'll ever use it.