Sand bats were an animal lifeform, a type of bat, indigenous to Manark IV.

History and specifics[]

Their defense-and attack-mechanism was camouflage. The bat appeared as inert, crystalline minerals to its cavern-dwelling prey. (TOS episode: "The Empath", Last Unicorn RPG module: TOS Core Game Book)

Sand bats were noctural omnivores that pounced when attacking, and lived in pods of up to 100. Averaging 0.6 meters long, they could carry up to 20 kilograms while flying. They exuded a sticky neurotoxin when licking that would end up forming a small shell, so that a flock of them resembled a bunch of rocks. Having evolved in a desert climate, their mating became prolific in damp climates, and an overabundance of water easily drowned them. (Decipher RPG module: Creatures)

Sand bats were especially dangerous when they took to the air. (DS9 novel: Unity)

In 2241, Tom Cady gave a lecture on various ecological accidents. Among the events he intended to discuss was a Starfleet shuttle having accidentally landed on a colony of sand bats and crushing them. (TOS novel: Inception)

In 2268, Spock compared the unknown Gem to the potential threat of a sand bat. (TOS episode: "The Empath")

Hikaru Sulu was familiar with sand bats. In 2298, at one point while he was talking with the Neyel, Ambassador Aidan Burgess gave him a horror-filled look that reminded Sulu of a sand bat. (TLE novel: The Sundered)

In 2382, Bowan Radowski compared the unpredictable behavior of a sand bat to a finicky transporter. (TTN novel: Fallen Gods)

Appendices[]

External link[]

• Sand bat article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.