There are many interesting and lesser known facts about bats that we don’t know.
Bats are the only mammals that can fly.
-They aren’t really blind , infact some species can see even better than humans in dark.
-Every night they put 400-600 kms of airtime to catch their prey.
I-f a Bat is lying on ground, it cannot fly as it needs a certain distance to fall from . They need to be at a height of 5 feet from ground to take flight
Have you ever wondered how they are able to fly so fast in pitch dark? One of the unique characteristics is the technique they use to judge the objects in their way when they fly. They use echolocation to easily find their way through the night sky.
What is Echolocation?
Echolocation is a method where an animal uses echoes of sound to locate an object. The animal produces a high pitched sound which humans are unable to hear. The sound then reflects back from different surfaces. The Bat compares the outgoing sound with these returning echoes. The bat’s brain then creates detailed images of its surroundings. This allows bats to find prey, identify buildings in total darkness. Bats are not the only animals that use echolocation but there are others also like dolphins, porpoises, and toothed whales .
Bats are able to filter out sounds from rain, wind etc and are able to fly well even in poor weather conditions. They are able to change the angle of flight very fast and avoid hitting surfaces that are close.
Proeves is happy to announce the launch of ‘Junior Explorers Camp’ – Tell me how’ camp series where kids aged 5-9 yrs will learn how bats fly in the dark with a fun craft activity ! Register now at www.proeves.com/register for the ‘Bold Bats’ session on 15 Oct, Thursday 5:15pm
