Why do bats have eyes if they are blind?

Answer 1

Because that's how they were made. Why do men have nipples?

Answer 2

Bats aren't blind, but there are plenty of cave-dwelling species, like the blind cave fish, that are. The reason that evolution "shuts down" the eyes in these species is that they live in environments that never see light, so spending energy on their eyes is a waste and actually hurts the animals by making them have to eat more for other purposes.

Answer 3

Bats Blind? Oh man thats the silliest thing i have herd in Umm say 2 weeks now ( i hear a lotta silly things..) bats arent even close to being blind.. they just dont rely on visible lite spectrum like you do... A bat can actually prob (EYE wise) see even better than you can... I know fer sure they can in low light LOL.. and likely even better in daylight too..

Thats an OLD tale.. bats are by no means Blind.. in fact they have very good eyesight..... (But Ok I gotta give you the you CRACKED ME UP award of the week... )

Answer 4

Despite the popular saying, "blind as a bat," bats aren't blind at all. In fact, many species can see very well. But bats are specially adapted through echolocation to fly in absolute darkness, where they can find and snag insects for food. Whales and dolphins are examples of other animals that use echolocation for detecting objects.

Myotis lucifugus does not possess a keel on the calcar and has a short tibia relative to the length of the hind foot (~55% of the tibial length). Myotis lucifugus lacks choroidal papillae and folded retinas, and therefore does not exhibit eye shine. (Fenton and Barclay, 1980; Kurta, 1995; Nowak, 1994)

Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) breed throughout much of North America and parts of Central America. they have large mouths and eyes, and are cryptically colored. Their large eyes help them find and distinguish among prey items in the dark. Like owls, common nighthawks have a tapetum (a mirror-like structure at the back of each eye that reflects light to the retina) that increases their ability to see in the dark. They have evolved to occupy an ecological niche that involves crepuscular-nocturnal activity. Some bats took the evolutionary path towards small size and echolocation; those are the ones with small eyes and large ears. It's a matter of adaptation: they don't use their eyes as much as their sense of hearing, but usually structures or functions are not lost unless the _loss_ implies some benefit. Relatively small eyes are still functioning eyes!

Other bats that are much bigger, have large eyes and good eyesight; the so-called flying foxes.

Microchiropterans use highly sophisticated echolocation for orientation; megachiropterans orient primarily using their eyes, although members of one genus, Rousettus, are capable of a simple form of echolocation that is not related to echolocation in microchiropterans

Although the eyes of most microbat species are small and poorly developed, their sense of vision is typically very good, especially at long distances, beyond the range of echolocation. Their senses of smell and hearing are excellent.

Answer 5

They are not blind.Despite the popular saying, "blind as a bat," bats aren't blind at all. In fact, many species can see very well. But bats are specially adapted through echolocation to fly in absolute darkness, where they can find and snag insects for food.

Answer 6

Bats are not blind. Many species of bats don't have great eyesight, because all bat species mostly use their hearing to "see" through sonar. Some species of bats do have good eyesight as well as good hearing. Many use smell as well (thus the funny-shaped noses).

Answer 7

Bats aren't blind. All bats can see, although some species see better than others.

Answer 8

It is all about evolution-this evolution is the same for moles which do have eyes but don't utilize them. As time passes-the bats who use to use their eyes, have revolutionized to using sonics to capture their prey and navigate- this evolution has a lot to do with their home which is typically dark caves. In the darkness their eyes have no use whereas their sonic communication system works extremely well

Answer 9

Bats are not blind.

Answer 10

Right...bats are not blind as many educated people above have mentiones....just wanted to say it is called ECOLOCATION that bats use to hunt prey....NOT sonar, or radar.

Answer 11

Bats aren't blind, that's a myth.