What Are Cotton Ball Bats And Why They Are Called So

We have all seen black or brown bats, haven’t we? These nocturnal flying mammals often leave many scared. However, a video of cute, white, little, fluffy bats often surfaces on the internet and leaves the internet going ‘aww’. These bats are called Honduran White Bats, often referred to as the cutest creatures, who look like cotton balls.

Honduran White bats are known to have fluffy white fur, big yellow nose and ears and weigh just 9 grams. Since they are found in Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in Central America, they are known as Honduran White Bats. They are also referred to as Caribbean White Tent-making bats or Cotton Ball Bats. What sets them apart from their species is their upturned nose. However, their population is only 2 per cent out of the 1400 species of bats on earth.

A post shared by Supreet Sahoo (@supreet_sahoo_)

The caption read, “Honduran white bats, Costa Rica.” The comment section adored the little mammals. A social media user wrote, “Aww, my god! Look at their size.” Another user commented, “What a beautiful thing.” One comment read, “Look how tiny these are.” “Wow! God is indeed great. He protects all the creatures.”

If you take a good look at the photo, you will get a good idea of their tiny size. They usually live under the leaves of the Heliconia plant. Experts believe that male Honduran White Bats are slightly larger and heavier than their female counterparts. They are known to gnaw the leaves of the Heliconia plant. They fold down and form a small tent to hide from predators. Hence, they are called Tent-Making bats.

A group of 17 bats cling to a single leaf where they rest during the day. Researchers were under the assumption that male bats did the tent-making form to attract females. However, a 2006 research first found evidence that even females made the tent-making form.

Generally, Hondura White Bats are herbivores. They love figs and have been often spotted on the fig trees. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed them under the red list as they are becoming extinct quite fast. Many efforts are being made to save them and even fig trees are being planted near where they live.