Bloodmist Bat

Bloodmist Bats are native to the northern jungles of the DSRR. As the largest species of bat and consumers of blood, they have an ominous reputation and are often associated with vampires, though they have only surface similarities. They have a wingspan average of 3 sextants, with the backbone of their wings being black, unfurling the red web underneath that makes up most of the wings.
=== Diet ===
Bloodmist bats actually subsist primarily on fruit and insects, like most bat species. However, they supplement their diet with blood from many kinds of animals, ranging from livestock to even redneck gorillas. They have specialized fangs for making the incision, and their saliva has an anti-clotting agent that allows the blood to continue flowing until they have eaten their fill. Then, a gland behind their ears allows them to prevent the victim from wasting blood.
=== Behavior ===
Bloodmist bats are shy and nocturnal, only leaving the caves and hollow trees they sleep in to hunt during the night. Due to their partial omnivore diet, they prefer to live near lakes, ponds, and rivers. It has been estimated that up to one fifth of their population lives within an octant of the great lakes. They typically avoid bright lights, making it rare for humans to happen upon them unless they disturb a nest. However, when they are disturbed by a predator or too-curious human, bloodmist bats live up to their name. The blood they consume is partly metabolized into a acrid and poisonous liquid, which the bats can expel as a fine mist from pouches on their legs when threatened. The mist obscures the area, confusing and weakening the predator enough (hopefully) for the bats to get away. This mechanism is only used in times of stress, however, as the toxin takes a lot of energy and blood to produce. Therefore, usually, only one or two bats out of a nest will spray while the entire group flees. Bloodmist bats live in nests primarily in hollow trees, with about ten to twenty bats per tree. They are adept at hanging from the side of the logs to sleep.
=== Use in Biomimicry ===
Several aspects of the bloodmist bat have been investigated by scientists and engineers. The anti clotting and blood stopping compounds have led to materials that have saved many lives, while the products of studying the mist-producing pouches is found in almost every can of hairspray in modern Red. Finally, the locking mechanism used by their legs and feet to attach themselves to logs to sleep is being studied for applications in runic machinery.
Category:Flora and Fauna