 The surface of the pads overlies a patch of connective tissue and a small piece of cartilage that connects to the end of a muscle.The attachment of this muscle to the pads enables the bat to form them into a cup shape, although it is unclear whether this can form an effective suction cup, rather than simply improving the bat's grip onto objects through friction alone.Most, though not all, individuals also possess a relatively large and visible gland of unknown function on each side of the tail.