Isn't this weird?

Question

We all know that bats fly around in circles, trying to find their way through the dark by echo-location, right? But last night, my friend and I saw a bat flying straight, as if it knew where it was going! How weird is that?

Answer 1

If you could see the bat, it could see also. They can actually see quite well, especially in the dark. Bat's really only use echolocation for finding prey and in complete darkness (like a cave or attic). If you've ever seen a colony of Mexican freetail bats leave a cave they fly fairly straight for miles.

Answer 2

Not very weird. Echolocation is not limited to moving in circles. Personally, I've never seen bats do circles, more often I've seen them darting and dodging in crooked lines while searching for insects. But to get out of a cave, a bat would have to fly straight (a circle would smash it into the wall). Submarines also rely on echolation (sonar), they go in straight lines all the time.

Answer 3

Not unusual...different bat species have different flight patterns..some fly straight...some circle, some do figure 8's, some fly erratically. Even different individuals may fly slightly differently.

Answer 4

The only time I have seen bats circle is around a street light when they are catching insects drawn to the light. They don't chase insects they catch them or they miss them. They fly too fast to chase them.

Answer 5

Nothing weird about it.
Not all of them fly in circles...or at all times.
There are different flight patterns.

Answer 6

It's Called Sonar, it had a clear path according to its sensor and it had no reason to fly in circles.

Answer 7

I SAW ONE AT MY HOUSE TOO IT WAS FLYING AROUND AT NIGHT,BEFORE A THUNDERSTORM CAME.