Dunsparce are pale yellow, serpentine Pokémon with two small, white-colored wings which are capable of lifting the Pokémon a few inches off the ground. They also possess a drill on the end of their tail for digging which resembles a rattlesnake's rattle. Besides their main pale yellow coloration, they have accentuations of blue, such as the ring patterning encircling their eyes, the thick stripes on the pattern on its back, and its underside, and beige, such as its eyelids and back. Dunsparce's eyes seemed perpetually closed and goggle-like in appearance, somewhat like Baltoy's, and there are pointed prongs on the underside of its chin.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
At first glance, these Pokémon appear plain. However, Dunsparce make themselves quite elusive.
They also are able to dig extremely well and fly a little using their small wings.
Behavior
Dunsparce are extremely shy of human beings and rarely ever make themselves known. However, they are known to swarm on random occasions.
Crystal and her Chikorita accidentally get caught in one of Lt. Surge's electrical traps trying to retrieve the ball containing a Dunsparce that they captured.
Much later, in Volume 23, a little girl that owns a Dunsparce faxed Bill and informs him of Deoxys' rampage and Giovanni's subsequent appearance on Kin Island.
Dunsparce has a drill for its tail. It uses this tail to burrow into the ground backwards. This Pokémon is known to make its nest in complex shapes deep under the ground.
Dunsparce in the anime is usually depicted as small, most of the time not any bigger than up to someone's ankle, while in the games it is almost 5 feet tall.
Its height in the games may in fact be its length. The same discrepancy occurs with other long-bodied Pokémon like Ekans or Dratini.
Despite what its Pokédex entries say, it does not have the ability Levitate.
Dunsparce is based on the mythical tsuchinoko. Similar to Bigfoot or the Chupacabra, sightings and reports appear in Japanese media; however, hard evidence is always lacking. Tsuchinoko are 30 cm to 80 cm long, with a large head and poisonous fangs. Its body is thicker than its head and tail. The noises it makes resemble squeaks, chirps and snores. Unlike real snakes, which slither from side to side, a tsuchinoko wiggles ahead in a straight line. The tsuchinoko curls its body to leap through the air. Moreover, the fact that Dunsparce, a snake-like creature, has wings also brings to mind the motif of the Feathered Serpent, a prominent deity or supernatural being in many Mesoamerican religions. In addition, Dunsparce shares some traits with bumblebees, including their stripes, tiny wings, stinger-like tail, and the fact that they burrow into the ground.
Name origin
Dunsparce is most likely a combination of "dun," which can mean grayish yellow or gloomy, and "sparse," referring to its rarity. ノコッチ Nokocchi is an anagram of つちのこ tsuchinoko, a fabled snakelike creature.
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.