In commemoration of Nintendo’s 135ᵗʰ anniversary, September 20 to 30 is NIWA Cross-Wiki Week. Click here for event details and the possibility to win a $20/€20 Nintendo eShop gift card. Please remember to follow the manual of style and code of conduct at all times. Check the Bulbagarden home page for up-to-date Pokémon news and discuss it on the forums or in the Bulbagarden Discord server.
Venonat using its "Radar Eye" to find Team Rocket's truck
Venonat has a round body covered in purple fur. Its has a pincer-like mouth, red compound eyes and a pair of white antennas. It has a pair of clodhopper feet and stubby forepaws. Venonat's highly developed eyes help it find suitable prey and can shoot powerful beams. Additionally, poison oozes from all over Venonat's body.
Venonat can be found in dense forests, where it will sleep in the hole of a tree until nightfall. It sleeps throughout the day because the small insects it feeds on appear only at night. Both Venonat and its prey are attracted to bright lights.
Venonat is said to have evolved with a coat of thin, stiff hair that covers its entire body for protection. It possesses large eyes that never fail to spot even minuscule prey.
Its coat of thin, stiff hair that covers its entire body is said to have evolved for protection. Its large eyes never fail to spot even miniscule prey.
In spite of Venonat's name it is not similar to a gnat in size, physiology or behavior, other than on its compound eyes. It is likely also based on a mite, which also sucks blood, is round, and have a pincer-like mouth.
Name origin
Venonat is likely a combination of venom and gnat (a small insect).
Kongpang is possibly a combination of こんちゅう konchū (insect) and pang (the sound that a radar makes, referring to its radar-like eyes). It could also be a shortening of コンパウンド アイ compound eye, both referring to its eyes and its Ability.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.