Feb 3, 2009

New Frugivore

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





















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





















Photo by R. M. Barquez
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.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Woah, 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

Sarah said...

Nosferatu!!

Anonymous said...

I KNEW IT! We're all descendants of bats!!!

Anonymous said...

those eyes are desterbing.

Jessica Olin said...

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.

Anonymous said...

the eyes!

Anonymous said...

I think you just found the animal equivalent to Klaus Kinski.

Alison said...

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.

Denita TwoDragons said...

"My Preeeeecioussssss..."

--TwoDragons

Fabio Marton said...

From the head shape I would rather call it the Homer Simpson bat.

Nick Jainschigg said...

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.....