The Egyptian fruit bat is a relatively large, robust bat with a short tail, a fox-like face, noticeably large eyes, and dark, rounded, naked ears. The fine, sleek fur varies in color from grayish-brown to dark brown, lighter on the belly, and often with a pale yellow or orange collar around the neck. The wings have rounded tips and are dark brown in color, becoming lighter brown in more northerly parts of the range, and the wing membrane itself attaches to the first toe of the foot. The fur, which is longer on the forehead and upper parts of the body, extends onto the tops of the forearms and legs, and slightly onto the wing membrane. The male Egyptian fruit bat is substantially larger than the female.