Here There Be Dragons

Bats are like little dragons: miniature, furry, mammalian dragons.

I know that a very common conception of a dragon is that it is nominally reptilian and has an head shaped like an iguana or an alligator, but consider the claws, fangs and leathery wings of bats—all very dragon-like.

If you suddenly came across a 12-foot bat in the wilderness, the shape of its head and face might give it away, and you might say, “Oh my God! A giant bat!” But if you had access to the tales of myth and legend surrounding dragons, I think you could be forgiven for exclaiming, “Holy shit! A big, ugly, hairy dragon!”