image credit: livescience.com
image credit: asnyder5
image credit: Evets LembekHabitat: Central America
Status: Least Concern
If you ever questioned what I meant when I said I would be posting about “scary ugly” animals, then I think this Wrinkle-faced Bat should clear things up for you.Possessing a hairless face covered in wrinkly skin flaps, the Wrinkle-Faced Bat uses its ugly mug to help it direct its sonar more easily. The intricate grooves and crevices act as resonating chambers (much like blowing into a set of clarinets can produce deep, resonant tones) which allow the frequencies to focus different ways and thus aid it to “see” in the darkness.
These bats also have an unusually short and wide skull which allows them to produce bite forces up to 20% greater than other bats of similar sizes. Luckily, the Wrinkle-Faced Bat only eats fruit… for now.
