FlipFact of the Day: Bats aren’t blind. In fact, some of them can see three times better than humans.
The phrase “blind as a bat” is an absolute myth.
While it’s true that most bats use echolocation via their advanced ears to hunt and navigate, having that ability isn’t necessarily a tradeoff with good vision. In fact, a lot of them can see pretty well, with visual acuity varying across species.
Under low-light conditions (for instance, during dusk and dawn), these winged mammals may be able to see better than humans, though color vision is a different story. Additionally, megabats (larger bats) can see thrice as well as we can.
Today’s Science History Milestone: On September 13, 1886, English chemist Robert Robinson was born. Robinson was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on plant alkaloids.
Still remember your 5th-grade science classes? Test your knowledge and see if you still remember these facts and fundamental concepts in human anatomy, biology, botany, and other branches of science. Click here to try the “Are You Smarter Than A Pinoy Fifth-Grader” Challenge.
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References
- https://
www.nationalgeographic.com/ news/2014/11/ 141031-bats-myths-vampires- animals-science-halloween/ - https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/
sq/2013/04/09/ why-are-bats-blind/
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
