Tuppypond Cave is home to bats with an unsettling maw. If you are planning an excursion through the cave it is advised to avoid the areas where these bats congregate. Shooing away one is not an issue, but there is little hope against large numbers.
You encounter two such bats in your battle with the sniper. It is unclear how these bats are under the sniper's control - you guess they're either pets or under some sort of spell.