#natalidae

Trinidadian Funnel-eared Bat Natalus tumidirostris

A bat found in northern South America as well as in the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Margarita, Curaçao and Bonaire. The species feeds on insects, mostly moths and flies. It roosts in the dark recesses of humid caves, where they hang singly or in groups of well-separated individuals

A couple bats to wrap up the year. There was gonna be more but, just my luck, my tablet's pen is malfunctioning real bad and I'm on the other side of the globe in New Zealand right now. Oh, well; expect more when that's taken care of!

Nerdy stuff under the cut. Happy holidays, everybody!

Mexican Funnel-Eared Bat (Natalus stramineus)

Boy, this is a weird bat. Like, there are bats out there with big flashy appendages that look weirder at first glance, but the Mexican funnel-eared bat is the type of creature that gets subtly weirder the longer you look at it. Also, it reminds me a lot of Dr. Finkelstein from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

First things first: despite the common name, this bat does not live in Mexico. It is endemic to the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean instead. Second, it’s a damned shame that another group of bats got to be called “mustached bats,” because these guys fit the title much better. Look at that fine fringe!

I did a portrait to show those odd facial features, but the bodies of funnel-eared bats have some oddities as well. They have long, thin legs and an even longer tail- composed of elongated vertebrae- that is completely enclosed in the uropatagium. It gives them a very "third wing on the butt” look. Their calcars- the unique bones bats have sticking out of their ankles- are almost as long as their legs in order to support this absurdly long membrane.

Funnel-eared bats also have a mysterious organ called the natalid organ in the middle of their forehead, buried on the fur. I say mysterious because nobody knows what it’s for. It seems sensitive to touch and may secrete something, but nobody’s probed it further. Is it for scent marking? Bonking heads in the dark? Psychic powers? Nobody knows!

Cuban Greater Funnel-eared Bat Natalus primus

The bat lives only in one cave on Isla de la Juventud, Cuba. It was first described as a fossil species before live bats were discovered in 1992.

they played this on fox news earlier this afternoon :'D