Bats Fly Safely at Night by Using Their Ears, Not Their Eyes

Cover via Amazon

• Bats Fly Safely at Night by Using Their Ears, Not Their Eyes

When the bat darts about in the dark it might appear to be flying around blindly. Actually, it is hunting insects, which we cannot see in the dark.
Bats are not blind. Like many animals, they are born blind, but gain eyesight from the time they are seven to nine days old.

Bats are night creatures. Most come out only at night to hunt. Although they can see reasonably well, they have no special eyesight possessed by other night creatures like the cats and owls. Instead, bats fly in the dark by means of a system.

When the bat flies, it emits a high, squeaking sound, unable to be heard by human ears. As the sound travels, it hits objects and bounces back. These sound waves tell the bat where objects are so they can be avoided. This method of locating of objects is called echolocation. Bats fly safely at night by using their ears, not their eyes.
When the bat darts about in the dark it might appear to be flying around blindly. Actually, it is hunting insects, which we cannot see in the dark.

Cover of Night Creatures (Face To Face)