Into the Bat Cave
Left with a blank doorway between the chimp climbing the plumbing, and the rest of the jungle wall, we contemplated what might become of the door. A thatched hut? (too Early Tarzan) The door suggested an entrance, or exit... to a cave. Of course, you have to have bats in a cave. Also, we had enough charismatic megafauna (caribou, orcas, big cats) and needed some smaller things as well as stuff that wasn't so appallingly cute. We needed some snakes, spiders, bats and other "creepy crawlies". This artist chose fruit bats (flying foxes: check out the awesome kids' book "Stellaluna") for their size and appealing faces. A variety of reference was used. Note the bats under the overhang; simple silhouettes...until you see the eyes.
