OK, this bat, said to have been photographed in the Philippines, may very well be “human sized” as it’s been described, but a more specific description is likely “human child sized.” In any case, it’s pretty damn huge, with a reported wingspan of 5.58 feet. The freaky photo went viral (again) this week but Snopes first addressed it last year. From Snopes:
We have not been able to positively identify the species of bat shown in this image, but it is frequently circulated with captions naming it as a “Golden Crowned Flying Fox” (Acerodon jubatus), also known as the golden-capped fruit bat — although the animal in this picture doesn’t appear to have the golden fur around its head that species is known for. It’s possible this image actually shows another species of megabat, called fruit bats or old world fruit bats, such as the Large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus).
https://youtu.be/7To1nMrHE_U
Remember when I told y'all about the Philippines having human-sized bats? Yeah, this was what I was talking about pic.twitter.com/nTVIMzidbC
— Alex is….💫 (@AlexJoestar622) June 24, 2020