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Are bats really blind?

2023-10-25 10:25:02 46

Bats are strange creatures, and their habits seem very strange to humans, such as occasionally sucking blood, sleeping upside down, and staying up late. We view bats as supernatural beings, associating them with vampires and even superheroes. With their echolocation talents, this is no surprise. Bats are best known for their ability to "see" with their ears, and they are thought to be blind, which (as the story goes) makes echolocation useful for finding and preying on fruit, insects, and other small animals. Said it was necessary. But what if the most basic facts you've been told about bats are wrong? What if "blind as a bat" simply means being able to see clearly?

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Contrary to what most people believe, bats are generally not blind at all, and in fact, it is thought thatbats have sharper vision than most humans< /span>. Misconceptions about blindness in bats stem from their nocturnal nature and enhanced hearing. Because they primarily hunt in the dead of night, and of course when lighting conditions are very dark, bats rely on echolocation to determine the exact location of their prey. However, this ability does not require or have anything to do with blindness. Instead, the genetic mutation that evolved bats' ability to echolocate likely arose while they were helping animals in the dark. Bats' eyes are not useless, they are able to adapt to low-light conditions to better help find prey, and their abilities are enhanced by their superior hearing.


Being blind as a bat doesn't sound so bad now, does it?


animal tags: bat