Vulcanops facts for kids

Vulcanops jennyworthyae was a type of bat that lived a very long time ago in New Zealand. It is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists. This bat was quite large and probably ate insects, spiders, and plants. It lived about 20 million years ago! Vulcanops jennyworthyae is the only known species in its group, called Vulcanops.

What is Vulcanops?

How it was discovered

Scientists officially described Vulcanops jennyworthyae in 2018. They learned about it from fossils, which are old teeth and bone pieces found in the ground. These fossils were found in rocks that are about 16 to 19 million years old.

Naming the bat

The name Vulcanops comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. This name was chosen because New Zealand has many volcanoes. It also honors a historic hotel called the Vulcan Hotel in a mining town. The second part of the name, jennyworthyae, honors a scientist named Jennifer P. Worthy. She was the one who found the first fossils of this amazing bat!

How big was Vulcanops?

Vulcanops jennyworthyae was a very large bat. Scientists think it weighed almost 40 grams (about 1.4 ounces). This is about three times bigger than most modern bats today! It was the largest bat ever found in its family, called Mystacinidae.

What did Vulcanops eat?

This ancient bat likely ate a mix of different foods. It probably enjoyed invertebrates like insects and spiders. But it also ate plant material, like fruits or nectar. This means it was not just a meat-eater. Vulcanops probably lived among trees and also looked for food on the ground. Its diet was similar to some bats in South America today, which eat more plants than the smaller bats found in Australia and New Zealand.