Venonat using its "Radar Eye" to find Team Rocket's truck
Venonat has a round body covered in purple fur. Its mouth is pincer-like mouth, and it has 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 has made some background appearances in Pokémon Adventures.
It first appeared as a wild Pokémon while Red partook in a bike race which started in Route 11. A Trainer also owned a Venonat in which he sent it out along with a bunch of Pokémon to take on Lugia and Ho-Oh.
During the Trick Master's story of the homeland soil, a Venonat appeared in the flashback when it was one of the Pokémon calmed down by it.
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.