Aviary design for captive fruit bats addresses roosting cluster behavior, thermoregulation needs, and flight space requirements for species ranging from small to very large pteropodids.
Fruit bat welfare in captivity is shaped by their highly social roosting ecology and thermal sensitivity. Cluster roosting is not merely a preference but a physiological necessity for smaller species — isolated individuals have thermoregulatory costs that impose ongoing welfare burden. Aviary design must accommodate cluster dynamics, providing communal roosting structures with appropriate texture and orientation. Thermal management becomes critical in temperate facilities, where temperature excursions above the comfort range cause visible distress in the form of increased wing-fanning and behavioral restlessness. Welfare assessment for fruit bats is still developing given the relatively limited research attention compared to primates and large mammals.