The Curious Flight Of The Bat

The bat is the only mammal capable of lifting itself off the ground without any external support and remaining in the air in a controlled manner.

In addition, its unpredictable zigzag movements allow it to avoid its predators.

When we talk about strange and mysterious animals, the bat occupies a privileged place. While some may believe they are birds, bats are actually mammals. In this article, we’ll talk more about bat flight.

These small animals are mainly characterized by being the only mammals that can fly alone and control flight.

The origin of the bat goes back at least 60 million years. It is believed that they evolved from a herbivore that lived in trees.

General characteristics of bats

This type of mammal has an unfriendly appearance, resembling a winged mouse.

They have a habit of flying at night and emit a very loud scream. Their main peculiarity is the curious flight they perform.

As a result, there are many myths and stories about bats, but almost none are completely true.

Do bats have any connection with vampires? Combining fiction and reality, cinema was tasked with spreading this well-known myth.

Most bats, such as common bats, horseshoe bats, fruit bats, and giant bats, are completely harmless.

Also, these species are commonly found in Europe. And they even play a key role in pollination, so their reproduction should be encouraged.

Furthermore, bats have a mode of rest that is unmistakable in anyone’s eyes. They hold their legs on a brace and hang upside down, wrapped tightly around their wings.

These mammals have purely nocturnal habits. That way, once the sun sets, they leave their hiding places and start flying. Sometimes these shifts occur in large groups.

Characteristics of the curious flight of the bat

The bat’s flight is very interesting, among other things, because it is nothing like the flight of birds. Therefore, this very peculiar issue has been the subject of many studies.

Birds fly because they unfold in the direction they move. In contrast, the bat is characterized by having a flight in which they remain ‘standing’, swaying and ‘walking’ in a zigzag pattern.  It’s an irregular way of flying, with unpredictable changes of direction.

The speed at which bats fly is remarkable and is often compared to the speed of flight of a swallow.

Because they have an irregular flight, they get some advantages, as it is almost impossible to locate them, even for hawks, one of their main predators.

The most curious thing about the flight of these animals is their ability to fly blind. Their eyesight is poor and, in the dark, it doesn’t help them at all. The question is how they fly without seeing.

The secret of your flight is in your audition. Different studies have proven that bats have a natural sonar system similar to the sonar that boats or planes usually have.

During the flight, the bat emits extremely high-pitched screams that not even the human ear is able to pick up. They are called ultrasounds: sounds that have a high number of vibrations.

Thanks to these sounds emitted through the mouth and nose, the tones stretch, trip over obstacles and reflect your auditory perception.

The bat’s sensitive ears pick up the echo of this reflection and can identify obstacles very accurately, even if they are small.

way to feed the bat

According to studies and research carried out by biologists, bats’ food varies according to the species.  It is known that, to obtain each type of food, each one has a different flight at different times.

There are six types of species, which are the main ones: insectivores, carnivores, piscivores, frugivores (which feed on fruit), hematophagous (feed on blood) and nectarivores (which feed on pollen from flowers).

where bats live

Bats can be found in almost every part of the world, except in cold areas and some oceanic islands.

The most impressive and largest species are found only in America. In addition, they are those that can measure more than one meter.

After investigating their origin, it was concluded that they originated mainly in warm areas. So the places where you can best view this fascinating mammal are in the tropics.