Megabats are almost exclusively herbivorous. Their diet primarily consists of fruit, nectar, and pollen from tropical plants. They have extraordinary senses of smell to locate ripe fruit in dense forest — rivaling the olfactory ability of domestic dogs.

• Primary diet: Fruit from 188+ plant genera
• Secondary diet: Nectar, pollen, leaves, bark
• Nightly intake: Up to 2.5× body weight in fruit
• Taste: TAS1R2 gene — can detect sweetness

Megabats are long-lived mammals relative to their size, with some captive individuals surviving over 30 years. They have low reproductive output — typically one offspring per year — meaning populations recover slowly from losses.

• Gestation: 4–6 months in most species
• Offspring per year: Usually 1 pup
• Sexual maturity: 1–2 years in most species
• Lifespan (captive): Up to 30+ years