Golden-capped fruit bats live in colonies, often with the Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) (2). As they cluster together for warmth and improved protection from predators (6), they look strangely like black bags hanging from the branches of trees. These colonies, at least historically, may consist of several thousands bats (2); one immense colony recorded in the 1920s contained around 150,000 individuals (3) (7).
In the evening, the bats leave their roosting sites, flying as far as 30 kilometres away to feed on fruit, particularly the fruits of fig (Ficus) trees (2) (5) (7). The golden-capped fruit bat navigates its way around the forest and locates food using its good vision, without utilizing echolocation as many other bat species do (6).
The breeding season for the golden-capped fruit bat usually extends between the drier months of April and May (2). Females are thought to produce no more than one young each year (5).