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[[File:Ectophylla alba.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A small group of Honduran white bats clustered together underneath a ''Heliconia'' leaf]]If there's one thing that really sets this species apart from most other bats, it's the color. Bats, just like all small mammals, make tempting meals for larger predators, and so are usually dark, muted colors that allow them to blend into the background. Well, as improbable as it may seem, that pure white fur of the Honduran white bat is actually a form of camouflage. Light filtering through the leaves above them causes the white fur of the bats to appear green, making them very difficult to see from a distance. | [[File:Ectophylla alba.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A small group of Honduran white bats clustered together underneath a ''Heliconia'' leaf]]If there's one thing that really sets this species apart from most other bats, it's the color. Bats, just like all small mammals, make tempting meals for larger predators, and so are usually dark, muted colors that allow them to blend into the background. Well, as improbable as it may seem, that pure white fur of the Honduran white bat is actually a form of camouflage. Light filtering through the leaves above them causes the white fur of the bats to appear green, making them very difficult to see from a distance. | ||
The flat, oddly-shaped nose is a characteristic of many bats, and I suspect that another species, the {{wp| | The flat, oddly-shaped nose is a characteristic of many bats, and I suspect that another species, the {{wp|Heart-nosed Bat}} (''Cardioderma cor'') may have been part of Woobat's inspiration. Despite the name, however, the heart-nosed bat's nose isn't any more heart-shaped than that of the Honduran white bat, at least to my eyes. The noses are brought up in Woobat's Pokédex data, with one entry stating: ''"It emits ultrasonic waves from its nose to learn about its surroundings"''. Surprisingly, this is another fact that's taken directly from nature. | ||
Now, the fact that most bats use {{wp|Animal echolocation|echolocation}} (the bouncing of sound waves off nearby objects to aid in navigation) is quite well known, but what's less commonly known is the role of the nose in the process. In many species of echolocating bats, the sound waves actually come from the nose, which is shaped in such a way as to amplify and modulate the noise. Why the nose, and not the mouth? Well, some bats, especially the insectivores, will want to eat while they're in flight, and this system allows them to echolocate and eat at the same time. | Now, the fact that most bats use {{wp|Animal echolocation|echolocation}} (the bouncing of sound waves off nearby objects to aid in navigation) is quite well known, but what's less commonly known is the role of the nose in the process. In many species of echolocating bats, the sound waves actually come from the nose, which is shaped in such a way as to amplify and modulate the noise. Why the nose, and not the mouth? Well, some bats, especially the insectivores, will want to eat while they're in flight, and this system allows them to echolocate and eat at the same time. | ||