#i think vampire bats are actually smaller than most fruit bats so i think that's also very fun | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

grasshopperqueen · 10 months

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"For you, Insecta? I know a bat that's perfect, and that's the Myotis vivesi, better known to most people as the Fish-Eating Bat." Kirk grins widely as he talks about the species, his boyish cheeks almost pink with delight as he details their hunting behaviour, how their diet consisted of fish and small crustations. "Most bats eat insects or fruit. They don't typically divert from these staples other than a few species like Vampire Bats which live primarily on blood or Ghost Bats that prey upon other, smaller species of bat. No, Fish-Eating Bats are unique in hunting fish, perhaps some of the only kind that do." He didn't feel it was appropriate to suggest an insect-eating species to the woman who resembled one, much less commanded the creatures like her own personal army. He'd prefer leaving with his body intact, but he can't help talking about the creatures a little more, so great was his interest in the topic. "Did you know they can survive drinking seawater? I can't think of many mammals that can, much less ones that aren't already marine animals but Fish-Eating Bats are truly a marvel to behold! It's so sad they're only found in a select few locations in the Gulf of California." Kirk sighed wistfully, but he's unable to resist a playful grin as he spots a can of tinned fish close by. Perhaps he was more spot on about her bat likeness than he thought?

As Kirk spoke, Insecta’s mouth steadily quirked up into a fanged grin, she immediately took note of the bats common name and her own affinity for fish, she always enjoyed when people would go on about their passions, she thought it was honestly cute how people would be so giddy over things they loved, much like she gets when she starts talking about bugs. She knew there were many species of bats that feasted on insects, she can’t fault them for it. Hell, half of her “babies” enjoy eating their buggy brothers and sisters, can’t blame bats and bugs for being bats and bugs. Insecta was grateful though that Kirk didn’t give her a bat with an insect diet though, her smile actually widening when Kirk started naming down additional facts about them. Insecta smiled warmly at the man. “Wow… that’s actually quite interesting, lemme get a look at what these fellas look like…”

She took a minute to pull out her phone, entering the name of the bat into the search engine. She cupped her hand over her mouth while voicing a long “awww” “They’re frickin adorable!”

#chiropterx #I love bats so much they’re so cool #this one especially

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urlocalbunny · 3 years

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Headcanons of what would be the children of boys with MC ???

Aaron:

Probably more than two, but they'd have a gap in between. Two sets of twins. And in full moon Aaron would be apprehensive.

Three boys and one girl, maybe? He is a very present father and the kids absolutely adore him! But they wonder where daddy goes in full moon... You tell them the truth, but hey, they're worried!

One day, however, Aaron turns and goes for his usual hunt in the forest, but then he hears something faintly familiar in the woods. Yelling.

"Aaron! Aaron!" He sort of knows who this is. It's his mate. He is wary, but stays put until you're in sight... With two cubs. His eyes widen comically and he snorts, jumping in surprise. He sniffs the air wildly and realizes those are his cubs. He accepts them, nodding at you and turning his back to you. You sigh in relief, knowing you can count on him, but god... They're going to eat the shoes.

You thought the other two were normal children, until Ivan yells your name into the distance and when you run to see them, well. There are four little holes on Ivan's hand while he holds a diaper. You can only sigh. Good luck, mc.

The third boy and the girl are the little bats. The boy is a little weird but that's how Aaron likes it. Hehe. Like, he's just so cute! One time he'll be right here in daddy's arms, and in the other... Huh? WhERES MY BABY? HE TELEPORTED.

And the girl! Oh, she's so sweet! Once Aaron danced for her and when she swung her fat little arms, she created a shockwave that made him fall on his bum! That's it, daddy's little warrior!!!!

He's a great dad and he'll train his kids from the beginning. He's gentle yet strict, and your kids seem to love training with him. He also likes reading with his kids and teaching them about nature and how to hunt in their human forms. (The kids like it bc the actual rewards are fruit for the cubs and frozen bunny blood popsicle for the vampires.)

Raphael:

Just a little boy.

He's tiny, and no talk him bc he angy. Yes, he's got some bite to him. He likes wearing big hats and he paints. Biggest garden assistance for Vlad. (He likes Aaron more. He has a plan of owning the garden when Vladimir dies, but he doesn't know yet... ToT)

He's very educated and supportive of people with disabilities and he learned to paint with different textures and layers so his daddy can feel his work!!!! Raphael cries every time.

Raphael is comprehensive and tends to pay his head way too much every time he does some "oopsie". He also supports his kid and teaches him how to do stuff without seeing because he thinks of the day his kid will have to fend for himself and walking at night in the dark wasn't good when he first started.

Raph trusts his kid with the boys, but Aaron and Vlad are his go-to if he can't spend some time with his kid because he knows they'd only do what they think it's best for the kid. He also eggs his son on when it comes to exploring and running around. No sun though!

(You often catch him walking around during daytime. Y'all just Do. Not. Know. How y'all can't see where he is hiding until you realize this kid can literally conceal himself anywhere. Also he's very good at not burning himself so you stop worrying at some point and he'll just start sleeping during day)

Was he doing that just to scare Raph? Oh, he'll see what's scary. No kisses tonight >| |(

He's also extremely protective of his kid even though he tries to get him to see the world. A minute late and he'll be lectured severely, so please step in sometimes or they'll fight and raph tends to cry. It's gonna take him time to realize his kid can handle himself because he's fragile in your vampire's eyes.

Beliath:

You can see her ANYWHERE. She has two beautiful curled horns and an extremely ravishing purple hair full of curls. She isn't stoppable. She's confident, smart, social, a business woman! She's five! she's not only Beliath's daughter. She is fashion itself.

Beliath is her number one fan, supporter and manager. He'll spend the rest of his life moisturizing washing combing and zipping things up and down if that means his daughter is the most ravishing kid in this city.

One day you'll wake up panting to your kid sitting in bed looking at you as if she was a psycho though. You were dreaming just now of your kid waving at you. Yep, she's got her daddy's powers. A few months later, she's going to be itching her back like crazy. Beliath is going to be jealous because hey! He had no wings! >:(

One day he'll wake up with her appearance all twisted and then she'll create the sickest illusions like a goose head and a penguin wearing glasses. You'll have a lot to teach.

Beliath scolds her A LOT and she gets grounded A LOT because she's him but smaller and they fight a lot over how she should learn how to be humble and try her best instead of just thinking she's the best but she won't listen bc... She's the best?

She's the greatest performer ever. Knows how to dance and that's what she does the most. Another party animal for you. Now turn them Barney songs on!

For some reason, she absolutely LOVES Raphael. I think it's because he's got shiny outfits and he's chill so she can brush his hair however she likes AND read her books for him. Lives rent free on the library reading princess stories and complaining about the princes.

Vladimir:

A boy. He's shy, sweet and super articulated. His hair is blonde and he loves to wear nice clothes. Another one who'll bicker with his dad like he's talking to a kid his age.

Also he can hipnotize others in a specific way that turns him invisible when he wants and he can be persuasive, but it's hard to develop your powers when your dad is always complaining about the millions of cars you left on the floor and you're grumpy so every time you hide on the walls and turn invisible he complains and you go "tch, old hack" and he hears you. Tough life, grrr.

Even though they fight SOMETIMES, all they talk about when they're together is cuddles, studying and gardening. Vladimir is the actual mom if you wanted to be addressed to as the mom, just forget it lol, if not it's fine, you have a mom for your son.

He grounds your kid and talks it out calmly because even if they fight, your kid is a very good listener and he knows when words are well-meaning.

They sleep together a lot like two old grandpas and you have the advantage of Vladimir not knowing about modern cameras. Have fun!!!

Your kid ends up growing up to be an ABSOLUTE gentleman. He's funny, smart, handsome and really educated. Momma owl Daddy is proud!!!

Ethan:

IT'S A BOY AND A GIRL. BEWARE. HELPAJDHIAJDIAJD

They're trouble. Trouble.

Ethan yells, rips his hairs off, jumps and rolls on the floor but these kids, they're absolute raccoons! The girl literally can control minds Neil style and the boy is a tracker just like his father.

Honestly they're smart, but they just like to use it to make his dad go crazy!

They love each other tho, they rarely get in trouble and they behave when you say so. They're scared *laughs evil laugh*

Ethan teaches them many things and since he can't fight so much, he sends them to train with whoever they like. The girl usually hangs into Beliath's sleeve and they get along super well. He teaches her hand in hand and the boy goes with Aaron because his tracking skills are developing. Sometimes he takes both of them and teaches them knife combat and how to be a good medical support because again, being a vampire is tough.

The boy likes embroidery and Ethan thinks he's weird because he makes some sick Dinosaurs but he tells him to go off. He likes how well made they are.

The girl enjoys violence fighting more so she trains extra hard.

Ivan:

This is the sweetest kid of the bunch. Your little girl. Is the shy baby you see clinging to their companion's shirt/pants in the street. She likes gardening herself, not with anyone else. She plants some flowers in a space Vladimir didn't use and she shoos everyone off, but gently bc babygirl is never mean... Until she finds out she has fangs

She's going to run to you crying and pull her lips up and squint as if struggling and then BAM, fangs are out! You'll have to explain with Ivan what's going on. She understands *sniff*.

Ivan is head over heels for her. They read together, they play board games and she's extremely skilled at every single one. She loves to pursue education on her favorite themes and she likes fiction.

Little girl also loves fashion and she wants someone to teach her how to sew. If you don't know it's okay, she'll put extra effort in learning to teach you!! "You'll see, we'll be sewing in no time, I'll teach you too!"

Sometimes you wonder if you're being a parent right because she just doesn't get grounded. You speak once, she never does it again. Is she really Ivan's daughter? "Hey!" "Shut up, go back in the hole or I'll use the stick!" "Ouch, stop!"

She turns very aggressive when she fights though, to the point where you're worried about the others when they teach her, because she fights like her life depends on it and she doesn't hold back until she overexerts herself. Turns out your daughter can use some sort of gravitational field and if you don't stop her, she might send one flying or pull them right into her clutches, so be careful.

Overall 100/10 great kid. Ends up designing hundreds of clothes and lives her life peacefully.

#moonlight lovers #sfwbunny #moonlight lovers headcanons #moonlight lovers fanfiction #bunny's writing #ml aaron #ml beliath #ml ethan #ml raphael #ml vladimir #ml ivan

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iztarshi · 4 years

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Space Bats

I am not a biologist, so this is more rambling than analysis. But I am interested in what’s implied about Hordak’s species and I did some reading on bats, so... *shrugs*. Enjoy my theorising?

Divided into three sections for convenience, the ancestral (more batlike) species, the species as it probably was pre-Prime and the clone army.

Ancestral Species

Hordak’s failed clones notably have wings, making me think this is an ancestral trait like a human tail that should disappear in embryo. This leads me to suspect that Hordak’s ancestral species was six-limbed and batlike, possibly resembling Imp more closely than Hordak.

Hordak’s facial features are also distinctively batlike. Interestingly, the reason those traits, the large, leaf-shaped ears and flat nose, are so distinctive to bats is because they are needed for echolocation. Fruit bats have longer snouts and smaller ears, looking more similar to other mammals.

Most echolocating bats are small insectivores, however the False Vampire Bats (megadermatidae) are larger and some prey on small animals, birds and other bats. Some species are ambush predators, locating prey from roost with echolocation and then dropping to take them in a short flight. The ancestral species being ambush predators would fit with Horde Prime’s eyes, if you assume they are closer to the original eyes of the species and the pupilless, glowing eyes of the clones are artificial or modified. Other species are gleaning species, making short flights over the ground and snatching up what they find, or they combine both methods. The gleaning behaviour is one where it is perhaps more likely the wings would become vestigial in the absence of larger predators.

While I’m not sure I’ve fully understood this, or how much mobility it would allow, bat talons have no tendons attached to muscles in the foreleg, instead they attach to the body itself where gravity will pull them down and “lock” the talons around a perch. Other muscles are flexed to release. This might explain the lack of musculature on Hordak’s forearm, although it could also be part of his condition.

While these bats hunt alone, they remain highly social at roost. Bats live fragile lives, the high metabolism needed for flight means missing a meal can be fatal so they often share with one another. Hordak’s species definitely shows the hallmarks of having been a highly social species once, they’re very expressive for a start.

Imp’s ability to fly while having relatively human proportions makes me think that, unlike bats which simply have very thin bones, this species had hollow or otherwise lighter bones more similar to birds.

Developed Species

The wings have disappeared and the metabolism has likely slowed now that it doesn’t need to power flight*. Echolocation has likely also been lost, Hordak’s ears are mobile but they don’t turn to follow sound even the way Catra’s do. Instead they seem to have an expressive function, especially broadcasting distress by turning fully down.

The species may well still have light bones adapted for flight, making their bodyweight less than a human of similar size.

The relatively fixed bipedal posture (once again, compare Catra who is far more agile and able to run on all fours) suggests gleaning behaviour replaced ambush behaviour. Later they may have hunted cooperatively rather than only socialising while at leisure. Possibly they also farmed, it seems likely at least some of their societies did.

It’s hard to make a guess at their societies when Horde Prime erased so much and when they likely had as many different ones as humans did. A tendency to form complex social bonds can go a lot of different ways.

*I wonder if this is part of Hordak’s issue, especially as his own failed clones show throwbacks to ancestral traits. Perhaps his metabolism is running at a rate his body can’t keep up with.

Clone Army

Genetically they’re identical to the developed species (to one specific member of it even) and any alteration in this would be a mutation. Physical changes to them are mostly technological, with ports attached directly to their nervous system and possibly mechanical eyes.

They seem to have the same ports on their bodies Hordak does. The neck ones are there for connection to Prime and we see Wrong Hordak plugged in by the ones in his back while in a pod. (Considering that the thing plugged in is the same green as the “nutrient rich amniotic fluid” this may be how they’re usually fed instead of actually eating. On the other hand Prime really likes that shade of green.) If the elbow ports are standard they may all be wearing some kind of armour under their outfits, possibly to compensate for the forearm gaps providing a weak point. Wrong Hordak has a white diamond shape on his uniform over where the forearm gap would be.

They still show the hallmarks of a highly social species, and probably one that would be physically affectionate. Even Hordak, who has his own reasons for being withdrawn and defensive of his body, quickly gets accustomed to Entrapta in his space and shows physical affection with Imp. With anything that would allow them to identify each other enough to form friendships forbidden they redirect most of these feelings to Prime and seem to welcome his touch.

#horde prime #hordak #wrong hordak #spop #space bats #long post

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allineednow · 6 years

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<p>Louisiana could be key to bat survival of fungus that is white-nose</p>

Photo: Chris Burns, AP

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In this Friday, Oct. 27, 2017, photo LSU Museum of Natural History Mammalogy curator Jake Esselstyn checks for big brown bats in the museum's collection in Baton Rouge, La. (Chris Burns/The Advocate via AP)

Photo: Chris Burns, AP

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This Friday, Oct. 27, 2017, photo shows part of the LSU Museum of Natural History's mammal collection, which includes the big brown bats in Baton Rouge, La. (Chris Burns/The Advocate via AP)

Photo: Chris Burns, AP

Louisiana could be key to bat survival of white-nose fungus

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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- As Halloween approaches, it is the bats who should be fearful.

A disease has ravaged populations across the eastern half of North America, but Louisiana could hold the key.

Bats -- of the order Chiroptera, meaning "winged hands" -- may conjure images of blood-sucking vampires, but the local varieties are thinking about eating only insects, making them vital to their human neighbors.

"The fewer bats we have, the more (pesticide) compounds go on our crop foods. . (Bats) contribute billions in ecosystem services to the agriculture sector," says Louisiana Fisheries and Wildlife zoologist Beau Gregory.

The plague on nerves is a disease known as white nose syndrome. It's brought on Pd for short, or by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Bats contract white nose once they come into contact or surface where Pd is present. While they're dormant, because their immune system is suppressed, it is especially dangerous for hibernating bats.

As its name implies, the syndrome causes fungus to grow on sections of bats' bodies, including wings and their noses. Lesions can be developed by those areas.

Yet the bigger problem is the disease says a bat researcher who formerly worked at LSU, Texas Tech biology professor Richard Stevens.

"They are on a fairly tight energy balance . And they simply run out of energy and die," he said.

Louisiana's warm climate and lack of stone caves is giving scientists hope that the state ecosystem could shelter.

The state climate means insects are, so bats don't need to hibernate. Additionally, Pd has an unusual taste for cooler temperature.

Without rock caves, allow the transmission of disease and concentrate bat populations elsewhere, Louisiana bats are more likely to roost in smaller sites and trees, preventing Pd breakout.

White nose is thought to have originated around 2006, likely brought on by a human traveler introducing Pd from Europe in New York state. In the years since, the fungus has raced up and down the Appalachian Mountains and spread around the Great Lakes and the Ozarks.

More than 90 percent of individuals have died when nose breaks out in a bat populationFish and Wildlife officials wrote in a June statement. At that moment, they announced that the disease had penetrated into Alabama. Researchers found bats outside Birmingham within the Lake Purdy Corkscrew Cave. For the first time, the bat species had fallen ill.

The southeastern bat is more specific, limiting itself as many affected species vary widely throughout North America.

"We're disappointed to discover white-nose syndrome in another species, but hopeful that the southeastern bat may fare better than most of its more northern cousins based on how long it took to be diagnosed with the disease," Jeremy Coleman, the national white nose coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a written statement.

Louisiana is home according to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Four of these varieties -- the big brown bat, tri-colored bat, bat and bat -- have contracted nose, though none of the cases were reported in Louisiana.

However, the state is surrounded by outbreaks of Pd. White nose is already widespread in Arkansas, and that the parasite that causes it has been discovered by scientists, while the disease hasn't yet been validated in Mississippi or Texas.

"We have been vigilant in performing surveillance projects," like swabbing bridges and culverts in northeast Louisiana where bats like to live, said Gregory, the state zoologist.

Leslie Lattimore, director of the Wings of Hope wildlife refuge in Livingston, said her organization works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state to check nerves for illness, such as rabies and white nose. The disease is alarming because of its rapid transmission; Lattimore says the status seems to change daily.

"It travels so very, extremely fast," she said.

Some species may go extinct, Stevens predicts. The bat, which has a range that includes north Louisiana, has been classified as a threatened species because of the snowy nose epidemic. Alabama officials have said the bats -- that reside in Louisiana -- are disappearing from their state.

Humans have attempted to intervene by using agents to kill Pd, but those have not proven effective. The best thing people can do is wash their clothes and gear before entering a bat habitat like a cave to prevent spores from spreading, the experts say.

"I imagine this is only going to play out naturally," Stevens says.

What he means is that the bats will perish, leaving the individuals resistant to nose which can pass that hardiness on to their offspring. European bats appear immune to the syndrome that those species have weathered their outbreak.

Those shifts that are species-wide could take hundreds of years to play out. Until then, there's a hope that Louisiana could be a reservoir where species could hide out without going extinct.

An important ecological niche fills. The world's only flying mammals can consume a whopping 85 percent of their body weight in insects each night, Stevens says. The varieties across Louisiana are insectivorous when some bats eat fruit or even blood everywhere in the world.

In 1 study, 150 big brown bats could scarf down 1.3 million bugs in a year, Stevens says. Some species concentrate on moths or beetles, while some, like the bat, are picky. Texans have proven that bats are helpful in controlling bollworms and other pests that eat their corn and cotton, but they're important to all kinds of crops.

In actuality, the federal government has quantified precisely how important bats are to the U.S. market: $74 per acre for the average farmer.

"Insect-eating bats keep agricultural pest populations down, saving farmers at least $3.7 billion each year in lost crop revenue and preventing the need for spraying expensive toxic compounds," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in July as it distributed money for states to study white nose.

Louisiana asserted $24,500, to be used this winter to survey bat ecosystems.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com

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