2007-09-22 03:37:24 · 11 answers · asked by moonbow 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Many bats feed at night and require echo-location to accurately find their prey, especially those who feed on flying insects and other critters that are difficult to capture. Since they spend so much time in dark hiding places during the day and come out at night, their dependence on vision has become reduced over the course of evolution resulting in rather small eyes. This has given rise to the expression "blind as a bat", though these bats can see quite well in spite of their nocturnal lifestyle.
But many bats are diurnal (active during the day) and have excellent vision. Naturally they are less reliant on echo-location than the nocturnal bats.
2007-09-22 03:47:55 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Most bats have very good vision but quite a few species of bats roost deep inside caves. Deep inside a cave where there is absolutely no light animals that have low light vision such as cats just simply cannot see at all. As was mentioned echolocation comes in very handy in this situation in a cave ecosystem to locate moths or other insect prey.
There are several species of spiders that have like six eyes and cannot see because they spin webs and "feel" where their food is caught in the web. These eyes are vestigial from perhaps millions of generations ago when the spider for example actually needed and used its eyes. Like an appendix or tonsils.
2007-09-22 16:17:01 · answer #2 · answered by Professor Armitage 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think bats have bad eyesight so they use sonar. Years ago at night by a lake I tried swinging a fishing net around and it bought bats out of the trees I think because of the swishing noise. Nearly caught one!
2007-09-23 00:14:07 · answer #3 · answered by mistickle17 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a misconception that bats are blind or even have very poor vision. Most of them have decent vision, the echolocation is just an added tool at spotting and honing in on insects at night - especially since a large majority of bats catch their prey mid-air. It also helps them navigate the dark caves they usually roost in.
2007-09-22 05:22:06 · answer #4 · answered by nixity 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
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.
2016-05-20 23:25:03 · answer #5 · answered by annetta 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bats do need eyes and some of them have very good eyesight to ascertain whether or not fruit is ripe. They fly by echolocation but their eyes still function: in some cases to a limited degree but they can still see.
2007-09-22 03:52:09 · answer #6 · answered by Rooikat 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
bats need eyes for close up vision, the sonar is just for catching prey in the dark.
2007-09-22 03:42:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Am I dumb? I always thought "blind as a bat" meant that I couldn't see what's in front of me but I could handle anything that's happening now.
2007-09-22 03:51:05 · answer #8 · answered by chilicooker_mkb 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well not all bats use echolocation so yes they do need eyes. Not to mention that even when bats use echolocation to fly they still rely on their vision to survive.
2007-09-22 07:51:58 · answer #9 · answered by The Cheshire 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Best Way Improve Your Eyesight!
2016-07-14 13:22:46 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋