Nea's Flightless Bats

Bats were first introduced in Nea during the early years of colonisation, when food in the form of bugs and other creepy crawlies was much more abundant than it is today, and large predators were still years away from being introduced. This first pioneer species however, wasn't just an ordinary bat - the chosen species was nonetheless Mystacina tuberculata, a species found on Earth in the New Zealand islands. This species is rather unique among other bats species when it comes to its locomotion and foraging habits, which are very "un-batlike", so to speak - it spends much more time in the ground than in air, and has a unique set of adaptations that enables it to effectively walk and run rather than just clumsily move when grounded. These adaptations include the ability to fold their wings into a leathery membrane between the front and back limbs, an extra claw in the hind legs, a system of adhesive wrinkles in their foot soles for better grip and robust wing claws that enable them to walk efficiently and even dig burrows, be it in search of a tasty morsel or for shelter.

Their evolution on Nea was initially spent without large predators or serious competition for food sources, and thus it lost almost all the ability to fly, with their already small wings being reduced to up to half of their original size. Now they just use them to glide or in a last resort to escape incoming predators. The population of the descendants of the original bat species, now given the name Mystacina breviptera (brevi - short; ptera - wing) once occupied a large area around the Kurnigian sea - however, after the introduction of larger predators like dragons or the appearance of a genetically enhanced species of flightless bat, their numbers dwindled rapidly in this region, being reduced to small sized population pockets, whilst the populations in the north and south in the temperate areas around the neanean lakes stabilized and thrived. This bat further developed its terrestrial lifestyle, with the claws on the tips of its wings becoming wider and more adapted to digging, especially considering the fact that the primary nesting site for these bats are seabird burrows (mainly Nea's Storm Petrels) - the birds have learned to tolerate their presence for most part, as they rid their nests of undesired parasites and bugs. However, they are also known to chew burrows in hollow tree trunks or use crevices in rocks to rest. Initially upon introduction their habits started to shift from nocturnal to diurnal, but ever since predators arrived, they are now primarily nocturnal once more, which helps them escape most of those predators. Though they have been already spotted during daylight, especially in the early hours of the morning (to make most of the morning dew) or late afternoon, they are primarily seen foraging in the darkest hours of the night in small groups of 3 to 6 individuals (though larger groups have been observed), most often one or two males with several females. The specimens around the Kurnigian sea are up to 15% smaller than those in other parts of the planet, which is mainly attributted to more ease in escaping predators by using narrow crevices or burrows to escape.

Nowadays, the population of flightless bats around the Kurnigian sea is made up not by Mystacina breviptera but mainly by genetically altered forms of these flightless bats, which were initially selected from more agressive populations that had started to target seabirds as an alternative food source, especially in the more barren western shores of the Kurnigian. It was from this region that these more robust species spread and were then evolved upon by curious scientists, reaching a new flightless bat that was not only bigger but more agressive and morphologically different from their counterparts, capable of conquering the Kurnigian shoreline. They rely more on their vision than anything else, and usually prowl in broad daylight in search of prey (though some have been seen ambushing seabirds that leave their burrows at night), jumping from rock to rock in seabird nesting sites, thus giving them their curious nickname. It's not uncommon to see small groups hopping between rocks, trying to catch a bird off guard, or preferably targetting defenseless chicks. Birds aren't the only thing on the menu though, which includes small insects, lizards, carrion that washes up in the shores of the Kurnigian or even their own, more peaceful parent species Mystacina breviptera, being one of the several reasons why their numbers fell so dramatically in this area. They use their larger and sharper claws to tighly grasp their prey, holding it still, and swiftly deliver a powerful bite that most likely snaps the victim's neck, in case it hasn't bled out from the previous struggle, that is. They then most often fight between other members of the hunting party for the spoils of a sucessful hunt, giving them another nickname - "Screechers" or "Squabblers". This species is, unlike its genetic ancestors, completey devoid of flight, with their "wings" being no more that a vestigial membrane. Like their ancestors, they use seabird burrows (abandoned of course) and rock crevices for nesting sites.

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Yet another idea for 's contest.