Mourning Bats

The Mourning Bat (Pteropus Lacrimosus) is a native Yuriban mammal in the phylum of chordata in the sub-species of megachiroptera. The "Mourning Bat" derives its name from native folklore that bats have a relation to the ushering of the souls of the dead from one place to another. While this duty in matters of funeral practices is often reserved for the goddess Kaika not all that die are given a funeral, but all that die return to the spiral.

Physical Characteristics

The Mourning Bat resembles other members of the "Megabat" subspecies, most closely the Pteropus Vampyrus or "Flying Fox". They are among the largest specimens of bats native to Yuriba and like all Megabats are frugivorous, eating nothing but fruit. However, their appearance has in the cases of outsiders lent them to have a more sinister intonation to their mythic duties. The Mourning Bat, with a body 40 cm (16 inches) long and with wingspans of up to 150 cm (5 feet) are among the largest flying mammals in the world. These giants are almost 1 kg (2 pounds) in weight.

The Mourning Bat's physical appearance is also made distinct by a pair of small bony protrusions that rise from just above their large and very sensitive eyes. These spurs, resembling slightly curved horns that average about 3cm (1 inch) in length further draw paralells between not only their connection to Zokutou but the Emoniichuan spring associated with her.

Mourning Bats, like all Megabats, do not use echolocation in their flight, but instead rely on exceptionally keen eyesight and powerful senses of smell. They eat fruits or suck nectar from flowers. Often the fruits are squashed, and only the fruit juice is consumed. The teeth are adapted to bite through hard fruit skins. In fact, Mourning Bats lack canine teeth all together (having molars instead) and many of the nectar-sucking bats have very small almost useless teeth. Unlike other Megabats, Mourning Bats do not take up any role in the assistance of pollination among plants.

Religious Connections

Priestesses of the goddess Zokutou believe that the Mourning Bats serve as couriers of the souls of the dead to the goddess Zokuto. That these majestic animals serve as her messengers, heralds, eyes and ears within the world, carrying out their own role in the cycle of life by preventing souls that have not properly been sent on their way from lingering in the world and becoming angered spirits.