A bat pony is similar, broadly, to a pegasus, but lacking feathered wings. Bat ponies are thought to have originated in the Royal Age, and are relatively uncommon. They were almost extinct in Equestria by the Golden Age, but have proliferated somewhat since then, possibly having been reestablished from a population reservoir in the Dread Dimensions during the time of increased contact between those planes and that of Equus during the late Golden Age.
Bat ponies face a degree of stigma owing to an “uncanny valley” effect on other ponies. They have the ability to function well in the dark and navigate with echolocation. Bat ponies are sometimes rumored to have the ability to envenomate their victims.