
If bats are blind, why do they have eyes?
Try 3 issues of BBC Science Focus Magazine for £5!
Batman got it wrong.
Asked by: Leslie Finch, Llandysul
Advertisement
Despite the famous idiom, bats aren’t blind. All bats rely on sight to find food, avoid predators and navigate to and from roosts. As expected in a nocturnal mammal, their eyes are heavily loaded with photoreceptor cells called rods, which maximise their ability to see in the dark.
At night, however, most bats use echolocation to find prey – sending out ultrasonic sound waves and listening for the echoes. So bats can ‘see’ with both their eyes and their ears.

Advertisement
Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun facts.
Authors
Advertisement
Advertisement
Sponsored Deals

January sale subscription offer!
- Try 3 issues of BBC Science Focus Magazine for just £5
- Risk - free offer! Cancel at any time when you subscribe via Direct Debit.
- FREE UK delivery.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Advertisement