Joanne Matsco, age 12, of Allentown, Penna., for her question:

What is a flying fox?

The so called flying fox is not a fox at all, though he certainly flies. He is the granddaddy of all the bats and, when fully grown, his body may be a foot long. His wingspread may be five feet from tip to tip. He is called a flying fox because of his foxy face.

We find these huge bats in the tropics of Australia and Asia, on Madagascar and on some of the Pacific Islands. Though big and scary, this bat is not at all dangerous to people, He is a fruit eater, though once in a while he will supplement his diet with a fish dinner.