Author Notes - I swear, this is one of the only families introduced in Pikmin 3 that isn't just the name of a species it contains.

AERODENTIA FAMILY

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Peneneff
Order: Flapiformes

EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES

Okay, is this a fun biology expedition, or a HORROR MOVIE?! I was just exploring through the caves, studying the adorable little babies, before Momma Phosbat showed up and nearly ate me! Captain Charlie told me of his experiences inside this thing's stomach, and… I can't say I envy him.

Wait, I'm kinda curious now. Gimme a moment…

So, uh, yeah. That was… an experience. Not as cool as I would hope.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCES

The Tectupervus pteromys (Vehemoth Phosbat) is best compared to a bat. It is a massive creature with a round-ish body covered in black fuzz, with two pairs of wings - one big and the second tiny - that resemble flaps of skin. The bottom half of its body is uncovered by fur, and thus the light-orange flesh is exposed. Its limbs are stumpy, and its head is covered in strange pink-tipped feelers. Its mouth takes up a noticeable chunk of its body. The infant form resembles the parent in many ways, except they are tiny with bodies shaped much like balls. Their wings and legs are severely underdeveloped, for obvious reasons.

HABITAT

Phosbats live almost exclusively in caves, due to their extreme sensitivity to lights, specifically those found in tundras. Only fully mature Phosbats will ever leave their cavern homes, and even then will only do so at night.

DIET AND DEFENCES

This family dines on insects and other tiny creatures who are unlucky enough to wander into its territory. Vehemoth Phosbats will fly around in the darkness, almost totally invisible. Their skin contains specialised chromatophores that absorb faint light sources, allowing it to turn near completely transparent. It can only be detected by the slight distortion of objects behind it, a distortion that most creatures easily miss. Juvenile Phosbats rely on their parents to regurgitate some of what they have consumed.

The wings and spines of a Phosbat are coated in scales, which contain mild toxins. The poison slowly becomes more and more potent as the Phosbat matures. These toxins never become lethal or even painful, but will cause paralysis in small creatures if it comes to contact with their skin.

It is worth noting that even fully-grown Phosbats will never go out into the light. They exhibit great photosensitivity, and the smallest amount of natural light will cause them pain. Young Phosbats are so sensitive to light that it will cause their body to disintegrate in seconds. Artificial light, such as a lamp, will only induce this reaction if the light is particularly strong due to the different wavelengths.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Phosbats follow a strict matriarch. The biggest and strongest female in a colony is considered to be the leader, and she will be the one who takes care of the young and guides the colony when it is time to migrate. The stronger a female is, the higher she ranks in the hierarchy. Male Phosbats are all the same rank: at the very bottom, existing just for breeding purposes. That being said, it is still the females that are expected to defend the weaker members of the colony.

COURTING AND CHILDREARING

Due to the strict matriarch, it is the females who decide which Phosbat should be her mate. There is no courting involved; a female will simply choose her mate, and the male Phosbat will have no choice in the matter. All female Phosbats in a colony will mate at once, and lay Phosbat Pods in the cave of their choice. These pods are capable of popping out a seemingly-infinite amount of Phosbat children. The highest ranking female is in charge of keeping these children safe, and she will guard them with her life.

OTHER NOTES

The discovery of the Vehemoth Phosbat is one that is worth noting. Captain Charlie, known for his many successful missions involving rubber ducks, was swallowed by one after it jumped him in a dark cave. He was able to remain in the creature's stomach for several days without receiving any injuries beyond a nasty stench. How he was able to survive is still not quite understood.

NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS

Phosbat -

I've never seen a substance that completely dissipated under bright light before. Is it because it's a newborn and not yet fully formed? The front legs and wings are still a work in progress, but they make up for that with numbers. If you ever see something in a dark cave that looks like an egg, my advice is to destroy it while you still can. - Alph

They're so cute when they're young! How can you say no to those little chirpy noises and big, wet eyes? It's a shame they grow into something so awful. It makes me wonder what the captain was like in his youth. - Brittany

This timid little guy was the first wild creature I met on this planet. I can't blame him for being scared, though. I freaked out a little when I saw those glowing mushrooms! Wait, no, forget that. How do you erase stuff on here? - Captain Charlie (Emily's Notes - I COULD erase that myself, but where's the fun in that?)

Vehemouth Phosbat -

It uses some powerful suction mechanism to vacuum up its prey, but what interests me is how it's nearly invisible in the dark. If I could replicate the effect, it could be huge for stealth systems on our ships! I'd also love to figure out how the captain managed to survive inside this creature for so long without food or water. But that's more of a biological problem. Not my field. - Alph (Emily's Notes - But it is MINE, and the answer is… complicated…)

It looks mean, but it's not so tough in the light. Why do you think it moves so slowly? Did it get indigestion from trying to eat the captain? - Brittany

This is the thing that swallowed me! It may play dirty, but I respect its willingness to use any trick in the book to win. I'd accept a rematch anytime. It was more comfy in its stomach than I expected, but I'm still glad my team pulled me out when they did. I owe them a round of juice when we get back to Koppai! - Captain Charlie

Author Notes - We're approaching the end of this ridiculous journey at this point, and I don't know how I feel about that. I will say, part of me regrets ever starting this because I didn't realise how big it would get. Only a small part, though, if only because I'm this deep into it and I might as well keep going!

The next boss is the Sandbelching Meerslug, so you know what's coming up next!