Ropens and Bats
Do some modern pterosaurs eat bats?
For years, reports of live "pterodactyls" in Papua New Guinea were explained as misidentifications
of the large fruit
bat called "Flying Fox." But after many years of short expeditions, many eyewitness testimonies were obtained and analyzed. They indicate
that a large featherless flying creature with
a long tail lives in Papua New Guinea, far different from the common fruit bats. What
has since been come to be known as "ropen" has not only a long tail but a long beak (or as one native has said, a
mouth "like a crocodile")
and a head crest. One other major different: The ropen can be as large
as 22-50 feet in wingspan.
The Ropen of Papua New Guinea
In the United States, some reports of apparent live modern pterosaurs have been where bats are seen commonly. In one particular location
(secret, but known to be in the Western U.S.), bats were so
common, where an apparent modern pterosaur was seen, that it became obvious
that there might be a
relationship. That obvious relationship is that a few
ropen-like creatures (or maybe just one) were trying to
catch bats.
Bat information, in general