Firebats

Foc-penats

FirebatsFoc-penats are a species of bats native to the lands surrounding the Mediterranean. They are known for their friendliness towards humans, mischievousness... and their nasty tendency to light themselves on fire. All in all, a recipe for disaster.

Morphology

Firebats have the general shape of any other bat and adults have a wingspan of about 1 meter on average. They are completely dark except for red patterns around their torso. They also have two little fangs they use to break into their favorite food: almonds.

Magical anomaly

Their bodies are completely fireproof, at least externally. They have the uncanny ability to light themselves on fire at will. Local scholars claim that they're able to coat their fur with some sort of highly flammable gas, which they would then light up by creating a spark with their feet.
However, these local scholars have no idea what they're talking about—firebats simply channel ethereal energy around them and turn it into fire. Other than the obviously useful application for combat, they also use their fire to put on light shows as part of their mating rituals, as well as to cook their almonds. They seem to be able to control which parts of their bodies are lit up, and usually they are careful not to burn things up accidentally.
All in all, this is a rather odd species. Earth doesn't have any other animals of arcane nature, so they stand out a lot.

Integration with society

Needless to say, firebats are a bit of a nuisance. Although they are rare in cities, their fiery tendencies are prone to causing fires in towns and forests. Fortunately, firebats hate the smell of soot, so painting a surface with soot is often enough for firebats to avoid it. They can also be trained to repress their fire, which is especially useful for those that are kept as pets.
Additionally, the firebat is also a traditional symbol of the Crown of Aragon and, in modern times, of the Mediterranean Crown. The firebat can be found on the shield of every constituent country that used to be part of the old Crown of Aragon.

contents

This planet's locals seem to be used to these obviously foreign species. I don't know where they come from nor how they managed to escape the Ancients's watchful eyes—but I will find out.

— From Min-aniara Laita's travel journal