The term shredder bat was a widespread designation for a collection of related bat species found across numerous worlds. These creatures originated from the planet Atrisia in the Core Worlds. Reaching lengths and wingspans of up to one meter, these species possessed exceptionally sensitive hearing, facilitated by auditory organs situated along their necks and foreheads. This heightened sense allowed them to detect prey from distances as far as fifteen kilometers. Shredder bats typically hunted in groups, executing rapid and precise dive attacks on their targets, sometimes resulting in instant death.
These bats proliferated to over a thousand planets, including Hethar and Pallaxides. While occasionally hunted as a sport, they were more frequently regarded as hazardous and undesirable predators. Scientists have proposed various theories regarding their inter-planetary dispersal, with some xenobiologists suggesting that the bats utilized infant hibernation to allow unwitting host creatures to transport their eggs.
Shredder bats constituted a family of winged, non-sentient species. A common trait among these varied species was their elongated, slender bodies, reaching lengths of up to one meter. Their bodies were divided into a furred section, from which the wings extended, and a hairless head. The furred section exhibited both light and dark variations and featured two short legs, each with three sharp toes. During flight, these legs were held close to the body. A long, forked tail also extended from the posterior of the furred portion.
The hairless head was typically light in color, flexible, and had two angled ears that slanted backward, positioned midway down the head. A series of auditory organs was located between the ears, along the neck, and on the forehead. These organs were finely tuned to different sound frequencies, granting the shredder bat species exceptional hearing, enabling them to identify and pinpoint life forms from distances of up to fifteen kilometers. However, this sensitivity also made them vulnerable to high-frequency sounds, which could disrupt their hearing and cause them to fall from the air.
Despite lacking eyes, shredder bats possessed brains capable of constructing a detailed and accurate representation of their surroundings. At the front of the head was a row of four sharp, elongated fangs, with an additional fang on each side of the mouth. Inside the mouth was a retractable, tube-like tongue used to consume blood from their prey. A defining characteristic of shredder bat species was their two wings, featuring webbing between each of the three clawed fingers. These wings could span up to one meter. The wings and webbing varied in coloration among species, with some exhibiting dark, mottled patterns and others displaying lighter hues.
Female shredder bats laid soft, gelatinous eggs that were less than a millimeter in diameter. These eggs were deposited in clutches of up to 300 at a time, with a relatively short gestation period of twenty-two days. A single female could reproduce up to five times per annum. Some xenobiologists have proposed that certain shredder bat species could induce a state of infant hibernation in their young, allowing them to deposit eggs within unsuspecting host creatures.
The diverse species of shredder bat exhibited adaptations to various habitats. The snow shredder bat, a rare species, was unique in its ability to thrive in frigid environments. Some sentient species considered shredder bats to be a source of food.
The shredder bat was an efficient predator, active during both the day and night. Utilizing its acute hearing, it could locate prey from distances up to fifteen kilometers. Upon reaching striking distance, a shredder bat would retract its wings against its body, extend its fangs, and rapidly descend upon its prey, delivering lethal diving attacks. These attacks typically targeted the coronary artery, and the velocity of the dive often resulted in immediate death for the prey. These dives were sometimes accompanied by shrieks.
If the initial attacks were unsuccessful, shredder bats were known to pursue wounded prey for several kilometers to complete the hunt. Once prey was secured, the shredder bat would extend its tongue and extract nourishment from the target's blood. However, kills were often contested, with shredder bats frequently competing over slain creatures, sometimes to the point of death. It was not uncommon for multiple shredder bats to perish in these squabbles.
This competition was intensified by the pack behavior of shredder bats. They frequently gathered in groups of twenty, and swarms comprising hundreds of individuals have been reported on some planets. Shredder bat mothers were fiercely protective of their young, a necessary trait as other females often attacked unprotected offspring. Observers believed that this predatory behavior reflected a maternal instinct aimed at increasing the survival chances of their own young. Ultimately, this behavior meant that shredder bats were as dangerous to their own kind as they were to other species. Only the strongest shredder bat offspring survived to adulthood, and the typical lifespan of these creatures was two to four years. This infighting also served to control the otherwise rapid expansion of the species.
The various shredder bat species inhabited a wide range of climates and ecosystems, including mountains, plains, forests, tropical jungles, and other types of terrain. Most shredder bat species hibernated during cold seasons, with the exception of the snow shredder bat.
The shredder bat evolved on the planet Atrisia, situated in the southwestern region of the Core Worlds. Following Atrisia's integration into the galactic community, the shredder bat rapidly spread beyond its home world. It established populations on over a thousand planets, leading to speculation about how such a dangerous predator could have been dispersed unintentionally. One theory suggested that the bats found their way into starship cargo holds, and inadequate contamination procedures failed to prevent their spread. A smaller group of xenobiologists proposed that infant hibernation was the key to their widespread proliferation.
A population of shredder bats existed on the planet Hethar during the Galactic Civil War. The Outer Rim world housed a small Imperial contingent, which was under investigation by members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, including the operative Homack. One evening, a pack of shredder bats attacked the Rebel camp. Alerted by a screech and the sound of flapping wings, the Rebel sentries activated Merr-Sonn excluders, devices that emitted high-frequency sound waves. This incapacitated the attacking shredder bats, causing them to fall uncontrollably to the ground. Homack and the sentries swiftly eliminated the helpless creatures without alerting the nearby Imperial forces. The following morning, the agents consumed the shredder bats for breakfast. Homack later recounted the incident on Gundark's Gear Datalog.
The Tagge Company introduced a population of shredder bats to its Outer Rim resort world, Pallaxides. These bats, along with other dangerous creatures such as the zuxu, were imported to provide hunting opportunities for visiting Tagge Company executives. This decision was made without considering the potential ecological impact these predators could have on local populations, such as the docile, airborne rormaroo. Members of the Tapani sector aristocracy also engaged in shredder bat hunts. Two shredder bat carcasses were exhibited in the Grand Hall of the House Melantha Orbital Hunting Lodge above the moon Vilhon.
The shredder bats were conceived by Peter Venters and Bill Smith for Creatures of the Galaxy, a sourcebook for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game published by West End Games in 1994. Creatures of the Galaxy was unique in its approach: rather than commissioning artists to illustrate a pre-existing manuscript, West End Games invited artists to create creatures, with a manuscript written later to accompany the artwork. The artists were instructed to "come up with some neat-looking creatures, [and] jot down a few notes." Following this directive, Venters illustrated the shredder bat, one of several creatures he created for the sourcebook, and Smith subsequently developed the creature's background and roleplaying statistics.
Shredder bats were subsequently featured in three publications in 1997: they appeared in "Gone To Ground," an adventure written by Kevin MacGregor as part of No Disintegrations, and in Gundark's Fantastic Technology: Personal Gear, a sourcebook by Jen Seiden. They were also illustrated by Jacen Burrows in Lords of the Expanse, another adventure book.