Check out this video of a Maldivian flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) cruising by before sunset. These large fruit bats (wingspan up to 1 m or 3 feet!) are the only native mammals on many atolls. Key ecological role: primary pollinators of native trees like coconut (Cocos nucifera) and seed dispersers for species including Pandanus and Calophyllum. Their decline would impact forest regeneration across the archipelago. Two Pteropus species occur here; both listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red Lis