Sarah beat me to making the comment. That is the first thing I thought when I saw that little frugivore. On another note, when I read frugivore I thought of the frug (a dance). My mind boggled at the thought of a bat that eats dances.
February 04, 2009
Anonymous said...
the eyes!
February 04, 2009
Anonymous said...
I think you just found the animal equivalent to Klaus Kinski.
Bats ARE pretty close to human....well, at least, primates. They're a lot closer to primates on the family tree than they are to rodents, which they're commonly compared with. So, maybe she IS smirking.....
September 04, 2011
Morgan is studying the behavioral neurosciences, which includes learning the incredibly complex ins and outs of bat echolocation and fish electrolocation (that's a fun word to say out loud). Morgan took time out from the coursework to send us a new bat: Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum, the visored bat.
Photo source: Guaquira.com [Image]
The visored bat, so named for the growth over its nose, is a rare bat endemic to northern South America (throughout the Amazon basin and part way up with bordering mountains). It's a frugivore. Frugivore is of Latin derivation and, as everyone knows, means 'one who feasts on human souls.'
...wait...um, Google is telling me something different. Evidently, a frugivore is one whose diet consists mainly of fruit. Still, you need to be afraid. Just stare into those bulging eyes and peek beneath that fleshy flap, and you'll know why. In this second photo the female looks like she's smirking, like she knows something I don't. I hate that.
Photo by Lizette Siles [Image]
Photo by R. M. Barquez [Image]Click on this last photo for a larger view. The side view of the skull looks disturbingly human, if more fangy than normal. It looks a lot like the ultrasounds taken of one of my daughters while in utero... that's more than a little freaky.
Thanks, Morgan. The Amazon just got a bit less hospitable.
12 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formWoah, they do have a very human look to their faces don't they. Creepy.... NM that their eyes look like they're going to devour my soul O_O
February 03, 2009
Nosferatu!!
February 03, 2009
I KNEW IT! We're all descendants of bats!!!
February 03, 2009
those eyes are desterbing.
February 03, 2009
Sarah beat me to making the comment. That is the first thing I thought when I saw that little frugivore. On another note, when I read frugivore I thought of the frug (a dance). My mind boggled at the thought of a bat that eats dances.
February 04, 2009
the eyes!
February 04, 2009
I think you just found the animal equivalent to Klaus Kinski.
February 04, 2009
Bat Boy is REAL!
I would not be surprised if those skulls had something to do with the origins of vampire myths.
Or the origins of the vampire dreams I will be having tonight.
February 04, 2009
"My Preeeeecioussssss..."
--TwoDragons
February 05, 2009
From the head shape I would rather call it the Homer Simpson bat.
February 26, 2009
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September 17, 2009
Bats ARE pretty close to human....well, at least, primates. They're a lot closer to primates on the family tree than they are to rodents, which they're commonly compared with. So, maybe she IS smirking.....
September 04, 2011