A new study (published in PLOS Biology) investigated how bats make sharp turns in the air, particularly when they have to grab the ceiling. It turns out aerodynamics have very little to do with it - it’s all about inertia. Just as a figure skater clutches his arms to his chest to increase his speed, bats pull in their wings to help them make turns.
You can read all about it (and see more video) in this piece by my friend Nsikan Akpan over at PBS Newshour.
why are bats stigmatized as being creepy?
I mean
look at these things
they’re like tiny
fluffy
dragons
but instead of breathing fire they squeak and cuddle
in caves
and leaves
and they have funny ears and noses
I mean really
bats are amazing
This post is so fucking important to me
sky puppies
honduran white tent bats roosting under a heliconia leaf, which they sever down the length of its midrib to create a ‘tent’ that provides a waterproof shelter and protection from potential predators.
[Various pictures of Honduran white tent bats nestling inside a little leaf “tent.” They look like cotton balls with ears.]
Paintin’ batties! In order: Kitti’s Hog-Nosed Bat, Painted Bat, Hoary Bat, Common Vampire Bat, Honduran White Bat, and Spotted Bat!
honduran white tent bats roosting under a heliconia leaf, which they sever down the length of its midrib to create a ‘tent’ that provides a waterproof shelter and protection from potential predators.
photos by (click pic) konrad wothe, kenji nishida, jenny theobald and tobias gerlach, leyo, outofsomewhere, wanja krah, alex figueroa, matt brady, and michael and patricia fogden
