Despite the name, flying foxes are not foxes at all — they are bats. They are called flying foxes because of their dog-like faces, pointy ears, and reddish-brown fur, which make them look a little like a fox wearing a cloak. The Pacific flying fox found in Tonga has a wingspan of up to a metre — about as wide as a grown-up's outstretched arms — making it one of the largest bats in the world.
During the day, flying foxes roost in trees in big noisy groups called camps. They wrap their leathery wings around themselves like a blanket and hang upside down, occasionally bickering with their neighbours for a better branch. As the sun goes down, they all take off at once, filling the sky with their dark, flickering shapes as they fly out to find fruit, flowers, and nectar to eat.
In Tonga, flying foxes play an important role in the forest. As they move from tree to tree eating fruit, they spread seeds in their droppings — helping new trees to grow in places they might not otherwise reach. They also pollinate flowers by carrying pollen on their fur as they feed. This means that some of Tonga's forest trees depend on flying foxes to reproduce.