I'll probably re-draw it again at some point to fix a few minor details and some of the proportions.
Edit;; Decided to add some lore to this. Also changed the name from 'dragon' to 'bat' because... well, that's what it is essentially.
The below info regarding the bat's appearance will also likely differ than to what is shown in the picture above... mainly regarding the wings.
About
Old-World Stargazer Bats are a unique species of bat that lives throughout the tropics and subtropics of several large islands, known collectively as the Nitor islands. Though it is believed to share a common ancestor with modern Megabats, it's only known closest living relative is the Bleeding Heart Bat - a carnivorous giant that preys upon Stargazers and various other creatures. Because of this, it, along with Bleeding Hearts and two others, are classed in their own group known as 'Gigabats'.
Stargazers are social creatures who tend to roost together in huge open colonies in the forests and jungles of their homes. The largest known colony consisted of +300 individuals.
Stargazers are easily distinguished from other Gigabats. Their faces are much longer and bulkier in shape in comparison to that of Flying Foxes, being almost reptilian, with proportionally larger eyes and ears, and a long muscular tail tipped with sails to help with airborne manoeuvres. Their strong, muscular legs are covered in a fine, short fur with their four-toed talons shaped very similarly to that of an eagle's, assisting in catching prey (fish in particular) and grasping tree branches.
There are no real differences between males and females of the species other than the fact that males are generally larger.
For a bat their size the Stargazer's wings are also very large in proportion to the body, reaching lengths of up to 3.5m in larger specimens. Another unique feature of the Stargazer is that the insides of their wings feature starry patterns whilst the outside is dark in colour, with or without faint patterns such as stripes or spots. Their broad chests also house a comparably large set of lungs, which allow the bat to take in more oxygen on fewer breaths, as well as a large heart which helps it to circulate blood at a faster a rate around the body, keeping it warm in colder regions and when flying.
Because Stargazers are predated upon by a couple of other larger airborne species these unique starry patterns are thought to have evolved as a type of camouflage; looking up at the bat from below at night would give the illusion of looking at the night sky whilst looking at it's dark body helps to break up it's shape when looked at from above. Stargazers are also very lightweight and tend to glide through the air rather than flap, so are typically silent fliers. Some bats lack the 'night-sky' pattern on their wings, and instead may feature lighter variants which are similar to that of a dawn or dusk sky.
Although it doesn't sound it this defence mechanism has proven to be especially effective, particularly since their main predator the Bleeding Heart Bat has poorer night vision and instead relies heavily on it's sense of smell and hearing.
Diet
On a whole Stargazers are omnivores as they have been documented feeding on both plant and animal matter, though a large portion (70 - 85%) of their diet consists of fleshy fruits, flowers and nuts. The rest may consist of any number of things depending on the bat's exact location and the seasons but tend to include insects, fish and any small creatures that they might happen across. Captive individuals have also been known to enjoy soft or cooked vegetables and honey.
Reproduction
Stargazers are fully mature and capable of breeding once they reach 5 years of age. They don't seem to breed during any particular time of the year so offspring are born after a 4 month gestation period. Typically in the wild only a single baby is born but on rare occasions twins have been observed. On the other hand, twins are very common in captive individuals, and even triplets have been observed. This has led to the speculation that the number of babies born is down to food availability.
Newborns spend their first week clinging to their mother as she flies in search of food, but after that she will deposit them at the roost whilst she goes out to forage. Stargazers are quick to mature, capable of flying on their own after just 3 weeks. They will not become completely weaned until 2 months, nor will they leave their mother to become dependent until they are 8 months.
Communication
Unlike other Gigabats, Stargazers are a very social species whom exhibit a range of vocalisations and body signals in order to communicate to other members of their species. They will also participate in mutual grooming and feeding in order to secure social bonds, though from time to time grooming and feeding behaviour has been known to be 'demanded' by dominant individuals over their submissive peers.
Vocalisations include a range of shrill screeches, chattering and squeaks, many of which are too high-pitched for most humans to hear. Lower-pitch sounds include 'cooing' which, as one might imagine, sounds similar to that of a pigeon. This call is most commonly heard when the Stargazer is either content or inquisitive about something, with varying pitches differing between moods and individuals.
When feeling frightened, threatened or angry, Stargazers will usually gape their mouths, spread their wings and puff their manes, in an attempt to make themselves appear bigger. They may even shriek loudly. If this fails to deter whatever is bothering them, then they will often flee rather than try to fight.
Relationships with Humans
Stargazers are popular with the natives of the Nitor isles. The tribes that do use Stargazers typically share very close bonds with these bats. In Nitor culture and religion there are seven great Stargazer Bat idols that are worshipped by the people as gods, among other animals. Stargazers that possess interesting or especially beautiful wing patterns are valued highly among some tribes.
Annually members of the Nhotis and Gralhea tribes will offer their most beautiful Stargazers as a peace offering to each other. So as long as they continue to offer their Stargazers, the peace is kept.
The most common method of obtaining a Stargazer in the tribes is to capture roosting juveniles whilst their mothers are away. These batlings are then hand-reared. Alternatively new babies can be bred from Stargazers existing within the tribe, which is seen as easier but not as big as a challenge. In certain tribes young men are expected to capture and train their first Stargazer as part of a coming of age tradition.
Stargazers brought up by tribesman are trained to assist their masters in hunting fish, whilst others are trained to retrieve valuable fruits and pods from the treetops, such as mangos and cocoa beans.
Some larger specimens have been known to be broken and specially trained as mounts in an attempt to carry tribeman. Although they are surprisingly strong animals Stargazers can only bear so much weight before flight becomes impossible, even for the largest and strongest of males. So unsurprisingly this practice is very uncommon. This hasn't stopped some tribes from trying to selectively breed for larger and stronger bats, however this has often resulted in bats that are too heavy to get off the ground.
Across the tribes that use them smaller, swifter Stargazers are often trained to carry messages and goods across the isles to their neighbours. Some tribes do not appreciate these animals as much however, with some even setting up traps and sending their Bleeding Heart Bats to terminate them.
Travellers from Western societies have brought Stargazers back to their own countries in an attempt to introduce them into the exotic pet trade... with little success. Their size and exercise needs make it very difficult to raise a Stargazer in comfortable living conditions without spending thousands on a large outdoor aviary. Some people on the otherhand have succeeded in free-ranging their Stargazers allowing them unlimited flying space and giving them the chance to express natural feeding and sleeping behaviours. This is not appropriate for all owners unfortunately with many insisting on keep the animals inside garden aviaries that are simply too small. Because of these needs Stargazers have been outlawed as pets without the appropriate permit in many places.
Stargazer fanciers are people who, like the tribesman, work towards trying to breed the prettiest bats with the most intricate wing markings and colours and over the years have formed the Old-World Stargazer Bat Society (OWSBS).
Fluffy neck fur is also a popular attribute that certain breeders like to work on, especially in colder climates. Known colour mutations brought about through fancier breeding programmes include the existence of pied and diluted furs, albinism, melanism, erythrism and vitiligo. Unusual eye colours have also appeared, and some bats have even been selectively bred so that they do not possess the starry patterns on their wings at all or they do but they simply aren't visible. This is commonly seen to be true in melanistic and albino bats.
