Southern Burrower Bats

Why they're called southern, I don't know, but it is a shame that they're gone.

-zoologist

The southern burrower bats were just that - burrowers. They were known for making small dens in ground of forest clouds, though it's still not known how managed to dig, especially since they didn't even have claws like the gliding chatter squirrels, who will also occasionally burrow. It's estimated that some kind of magic was used to help the bats dig into the cloudy ground of the forests they resided in.
These burrows were likely extended into huge underground colonies with large, long rooms for the bats to roost. It's also likely that the bats scurried around through forest undergrowth for food just as much as they flew through the air. They were omnivorous, so their diet consisted of small insects, spiders, flowers, nectar, and fruit. Old sketches of the bats report that they were likely reddish-brown in color, with a wingspan of nearly three feet.

They really weren't all that different from bats on the ground. Oh, except their echolocation was probably magical. We're still studying modern bats, though, and how they incorporate magic into their anatomy. So wait a while, and we'll update the bestiaries.

-zoologist

Extinction

The bats went extinct sometime about 400 years ago. The bats, already suffering from parasitic fungi, were hunted by older Skydwellers for their meat and fur, which were used for food, medicine, and as crafting materials. Eventually, the last of the species must've died out, because they've never been spotted again. However, charters have discovered a small museum with bat bones on display - most likely belonging to these burrowing mammals.
While these bats are gone, there are still several species of the flying mammals still around today, albeit slightly smaller ones. Short-nosed bats, long-tailed bats, and a large variety of fruit bats still persist, many of them roosting throughout the Cities. None of them, however, are burrowers. That aspect of bats seems to have died with the species.

EXTINCT

Scientific Name

chiroptera Vesperus

Lifespan

Probably around 30 years

Average Weight

1 lb