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Asked by to Andrei, Ekbal, Gemma, Helen, Ruth on 24 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
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Ekbal Hussain answered on 24 Jun 2014:
Hi Bremnerd!
I actually didn’t know the answer to this. But I’ve done some research and learnt the answer. So thanks for asking, I learnt something new today!
Most animals that fly have to first jump to take off or create lift with their wings from a still position. But bats have very weak legs. So they can’t easily jump and their wings are not strong enough to create lift from a still position.
But by hanging upside down, all they need to do to fly is let go and gravity will help them to fall and create lift.
Hope that answers your question!
Ekbal
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Helen Gath answered on 24 Jun 2014:
Great answer Ekbal.
Yes bats are very different from birds, but incredible flyers! Have you ever seen them at night? They dart around so fast catching tiny little insects. Amazing!
Although they have developed the ability to fly, they are very different from birds and evolved down a different route – they are actually mammals. This mean their ancestors are different from the ancestors of birds.
The mechanics of HOW they fly are different from birds, which will compromise how the rest of the body can be ‘designed’. It seems hanging up upside down is still an efficient way to live 🙂
You should definitely read more about bats, I just found a very cools website with loads of info;
http://facts.randomhistory.com/bat-facts.htmlMy favourite is #62: Since vampire bats have to drink as much as their own weight in blood every day, a human vampire like Dracula would have to drink the blood of a whole table full of guests every night just to keep going.h
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