Can Bats See Without Using Echolocation?

Have you ever used the adage, “blind as a bat?” If so, you may be disappointed to learn that you were incorrect. That is because bats are not actually blind. But don’t be ashamed if you always thought this; many people share the same misconception. The truth is that there are more than 1,100 bat species in the world, and not one of those species is blind. What’s even more interesting is that they actually have quite good vision, especially Megachiroptera species (fruit and old-world). This makes sense, as they are night-hunters. So, vision is important for darting and dashing for prey.

Continue reading to learn more interesting facts about bat vision, echolocation, and more.

Virginia Bat Removal Service 804-729-9097
Virginia Bat Removal Service 804-729-9097

Not All Bats Have Echolocating Abilities

There are two main categories of bat species: Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera (also known as megabats and microbats). One of these bat groups have echolocating abilities, while the others do not.

Megachiroptera Bat Species

Megachiroptera are large bats that live in tropical and subtropical climates. They maintain a diet of fruits and nectar, but some species are also known to consume small amphibians and fish. As for vision, Megachiroptera have large eyes and pronounced visual cortex that allow them to see very well. They also have a good sense of smell. Some species, like Flying Foxes, actually see well during the day, and are dependent on their daytime vision to fly around on moonless nights. They can also see in color!

Microchiroptera Bats

Microchiroptera, or microbats, are different from Megabats in many ways; however, their vision is just as good. Despite their poorly developed small eyes, scientists have confirmed that microbats have both rods and cone photoreceptor cells in the retinas, giving them the ability to see in the day, in color, and at night. Furthermore, Microchiroptera (not all species, but most) have a built-in sonar system called echolocation, which emits high-frequency ultrasonic pulses into the air that bounce back and outline the surrounding environment. This is why many people believe these mammals are blind; but echolocation is simply a bonus attribute that allows microbats to hunt faster and better for insects like mosquitos, moths, flies, gnats, and more.

Nuisance Bat Problems

If you are experiencing nuisance bat problems in or around your property, you have safe and affordable options. Never attempt to catch, trap, touch, harm, or kill a bat. Not only are there possible laws against this, which could subject you to some hefty fines and other civil penalties, but bats also carry diseases, some of which are deadly. Always contact a licensed and insured bat removal and control company in Richmond, VA for non-lethal, licensed assistance you can trust.

Are you looking for cheap and humane ways to get rid of a bat on your property? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for fast and secure bat removal services in Virginia, including Richmond, Salem, Leesburg, and all surrounding areas. We serve residential and commercial clients.

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Do Bats Use Sounds to See?

There are many species around the world that use sound reverberation to better navigate their surroundings, including toothed and baleen whales like dolphins, porpoises, killer whales, sperm whales, gray whales, and rorquals. Even certain species of bird are hypothesized to use a type of sound navigation system. The ability to both emit ultrasonic sound waves and use the sound reverberations to map the environment is a biological, built-in system known as biosonar, which is also referred to as echolocation. Like the species of echolocating animals, microbats also use sounds to see.

Continue reading to learn more about echolocation in bats, including how bio-sonar works and why bats use it.

Virginia Bat Control Assistance 804-729-9097
Virginia Bat Control Assistance 804-729-9097

Microbats Have Echolocation Abilities

As discussed in many blogs prior, there are two primary species of bats: microbats (Megachiroptera) and megabats (Megachiroptera). Megabats are also known as fruit bats or old world fruit bats because they mainly eat the juices and nectar of fruits and flowers. Megabats do not retain echolocating abilities. However, some recent studies show that some might, like the Egyptian fruit bat. Because megabats do not prey on living organisms, they do not need to rely on flying accuracy and agility, so it makes sense that they would not have echolocating abilities.

Microbats, on the other hand, are insectivores and can eat their body weight in flying insects each night. All microbat species use echolocation, such as Big Brown Bats, Little Brown Bats, Lesser Long Nosed bats, and even our beloved state bat, the Virginia Big-Eared bat. But why? Well, it’s not because they are blind or have poor vision.

Bats are Not Blind

Many people correlate bats and blindness, and assume it is the reason they have echolocation capabilities. But the truth is, bats can see very well. They use their echolocation to improve the precision and speed of their hunting abilities. Echolocation allows bats to better dive and dart more accurately for mosquitoes, gnats, flies, moths, and all the other flying insects they consume each night. Microbats are nocturnal, so they are usually out hunting during dawn and dusk when lighting is very low or gone entirely.

How Echolocation Works

Echolocation is the process of emitting ultrasonic sound waves that are discharged into the surrounding area. These sounds reverberate and bounce back toward the bat, which in turn provides a more descriptive mapping of its surroundings. We can measure how bats use their echolocation because they emit a clicking noise when echolocating. Amazingly, bats compare the outbound pulsations with the returning echoes to generate a detailed mental image of their surroundings.

Are experiencing heightened bat activity around your property, thus causing you concern about structural damage and possible infestation? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for comprehensive bat removal and control services in Richmond and all surrounding Virginia counties. We serve commercial and residential clients.

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