Nature’s weirdest: This honking hammerhead bat has the world’s strangest nostrils (www.sciencefocus.com)
from tedu@azorius.net to honkers@azorius.net on 29 Mar 2024 04:58
https://azorius.net/g/honkers/p/mx6pW59x1YgJL367l4-Natures-weirdest-This-honking-hammerhead-bat-has

With a face that would not look out of place amidst the Notre Dame gargoyles, the hammerhead bat is what the French would call ‘jolie laide’. The phrase, which literally translates as ‘pretty ugly’ refers to a beauty that defies conventional standards.

With the ears of Yoda, the face of the racehorse Desert Orchid, and nostrils that resemble some kind of sea creature, the hammerhead bat’s face is one messed-up mash-up. Until you realise that this oddly–proportioned animal is an evolutionary triumph, that is.

#biology #honkers