Such is the case with a new bat that has been entered into our taxonomic records. Everyone give a high-pitched screech of welcome to our new inductee, the sucker-footed bat (Myzopoda schliemanni). This creature "has suckers (large flat adhesive organs) attached to its hind feet and thumbs which are used to attach itself to the smooth surface."
If you're going to be a bat, you might as well have suckers on your thumbs, especially if you can keep those useful claws. Well done, sucker-footed bat. Now we just need to get you a better name.
As a side note, if you hear of an animal from Madagascar, you can also assume with some safety that it is endangered. Such is the case with this little guy.
Thanks for the article, Annica.
Photo source: Scienceray.com
I think he's kind of cute!
ReplyDelete^-^ you're welcome, again!
ReplyDeleteI just imagine him going up the side of some window, with those sucky suctioncup-noises
If it's just newly discovered, then how do they know it's endangered?
ReplyDeleteI mean obviously we haven't found everything there is to find there, so, maybe there are caves will a bajillion of these guys in them.
Anywho... love the little suction feet!
@ LisaL
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing. Maybe an expert can explain that.
This post keeps making me giggle. Welcome aboard, sucker-footed bat!
ReplyDeleteI find him really cute, honestly. Also, it looks like a bat drawn in an anime or something.
ReplyDeleteThe bat's head looks like the head of a Musk Ox.
ReplyDeleteThe feet reminds of the alien tripod fighting machines from War of the Worlds lol
What's this bat doing on Ugly Overload? He looks really cute ^^
ReplyDeleteLisal and Wombat, you can assume endangered as Madagascar is such an isolated bio-system, that if you found a new animal there... it isn't anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteThis means that firstly, the animal only has one habitat that currently supports it. Secondly, being Madagascar, that habitat is almost certainly threatened by human encroachment. Although improving, a history of forest burning and general habitat destruction has placed severe pressure on the island's animal and plant inhabitants.
Not a good situation to be in. Hopefully the identification and study of these critters will result in proper guarding of their habitat and breeding pairs shipped to zoos over the world, to safeguard against local disaster.
Woo hoo! A lick 'n' stick bat!
ReplyDeleteThanks, just2draw.
ReplyDeleteLick n' stick. That would have been a better name!
I find most bats cute but something about having suckers on your digits is just plain ad-ORABLE!!
ReplyDelete