Bat - Traits and Behaviors

The bat pony race have several features to distinguish themselves from the other pony races (Unicorns, Pegasi, Earth). Canonically, the bat ponies from the show are known to have grey coats, bat-like wings, and slit-pupil eyes.

## Physical Traits

While only some of these traits are show-canon, most of them are globally-accepted head-canon.

### Bat-Like Wings

Perhaps the first thing to be noticed on a bat pony are its wings, likely being the source of the race's namesake. While the feathered wings of Pegasi usually share the same colour as their coats, bat pony wings tend to be on the more purple-hued side, or at least a closer colour to the pony's mane.

Some agree that bat ponies have a harder time at learning how to fly, mainly because of the fact that bird wings have only a few joints while bat wings have dozens. However, while flight may come easier to Pegasi, bat ponies may have potential to be more efficient flyers.

### Colour Scheme

Unlike their vibrant, pastel-coloured cousins, the coats of bat ponies tend to stay on the more grey side, varying in hues. There are several exceptions, but bat ponies seem to have a standard colour scheme.

That being said, their manes usually stay colourful.

### Fangs

They are shown in the show, but fangs seemed to naturally tag along with the appearance of the bat ponies. It was perhaps because of the fact that, culturally, people tend to associate bats with blood drinking, despite only a few species of bat being known to drink blood. Yet, despite this, people put them on bat ponies anyways, including the ones considered fruit-eaters. This trait gained canon support in the season 4 episode "Bats!" where Fluttershy was accidentally transformed into a vampire fruit bat pony, part of her transformation including a pair of fangs (though she used them to suck juices out of apples instead of draining blood from ponies or other animals). However, due to the fact that Fluttershy's vampire form was not actually a bat pony, this canon support is debatable.

### Slit-Pupil Eyes

Another distinguishable feature of a bat pony are their pupils, being thin and slit as opposed to the wide, circular pupils of normal ponies. Despite not being a trait of real-life bats, they were on Luna's guards, associating them with nocturnal species.

### Ear Tufts

Bat ponies tend to have fluffy ears. It is unsure where this trait comes from, but it seems to suggest that bat ponies are a little fluffier than normal.

## Behavior

Largely up for debate, many have thrown and bounced around ideas around for the behavioral habits of the bat ponies.

### Diet

Possibly the largest debate that still continues in the discussion of bat ponies is their diet.

#### Blood Drinkers

The first source of food that comes to mind is usually blood or meat, as people tend to think of the bat ponies' fangs. Within the first threads on /mlp/, most seemed to accept the idea that bat ponies sustained through blood. It was perhaps this head-canon that got the threads going.

#### Fruit Eaters

However, some people found blood-drinking to be unsavory, and instead posed the idea of them being fruit bats. Usually, the people who accept this head--canon believe that the bat ponies have the same diet as normal ponies, but have a particular liking to fruits.

#### Both

This is probably the most common head-canon. Sometimes people like to mix-and-match, having both types of diets in their head-canon, or combining them into omnivorous bat ponies.

#### Bug Eaters

Probably the most uncommon head-canon regarding a bat pony's diet as being bugs. Barring the fruit bats, bugs and insects are the main diet to bats in real life. However, people with this head-canon are usually shot down quickly.

### Echolocation

A strange trait added to the bat pony arsenal is the ability to use echolocation, usually in the form of screeching or at least the clicking of their tongue.

Some canons suggested that the bat ponies have *screeching contests* to settle debates, or even to compete for a mate. Some bat ponies may be better at it than others.

### Nocturnality

In almost every head-canon involving bat ponies, they are usually showcased as a nocturnal species. Having slitted-pupil eyes, most people implore that they are sensitive to light and can see much better in the darkness. Coupled with echolocation, this helps provide a means for the bat ponies to navigate through the night. However, when exposed to bright environments, they may come across difficulties.

### Snickering

Several canons in the bat-pony threads promote the idea that the bat ponies have a special type of snickering. Being a race usually associated with the night, bat ponies are sometimes portrayed as being slightly mischievous, or at least playful.

## See Also

* List of Bat Ponies
* Night Guard
* Hollow Shades
* Badlands
* Bat Threads