Question 2 of 16

At what time of day do bats hunt for prey?

... Bats do their hunting at night. During the day they sleep.

Question 3 of 16

What sort of foods do bats eat?

... Bats eat insects, small animals and fruits, though different bats have different diets.

Question 4 of 16

Where do bats like to sleep?

... Bats find secluded areas, such as a cave, the underside of a bridge or the inside of a hollowed-out tree to sleep in.

Question 5 of 16

Which animals are bats related to?

... Bats originated from the prosimian group and are related to lemurs.

Question 6 of 16

The prosimians were native to which country?

... Prosimians were native to Madagascar millions of years ago.

Question 7 of 16

How did bats develop wings?

... Bats used to leap through the air from branch to branch, like lemurs. Some bats had a mutation where they developed extra skin extending between their arms and their body, helping them to leap through the air. This mutation favored greater mobility and thus survival, leading to the evolution of fully functional wings.

Question 8 of 16

Why did bats develop wings?

... Bats moved up into the trees in order to eat fruit. They developed wings in order to do this.

Question 9 of 16

What happened to bats once they developed wings?

... Bats lost the ability to use their hands, since their hands had turned into wings. Instead, they had to use their thumbs and their feet.

Question 10 of 16

Why are bats unique mammals?

... Bats are the only mammals that hang upside down. Since bats could no longer use their hands after they developed wings, they instead had to use their legs to support them while roosting. They therefore developed mechanisms that allowed them to hang upside down for long periods.

Question 11 of 16

How does hanging upside down help bats?

... A bat's wings are not strong enough to launch them off the ground from a dead stop. Hanging upside down allows bats to fall into flight. Also, bats are able to roost high up where most animals cannot reach them and do not fight with them for roosting spots. This helps bats to hide from danger and roost comfortably.

Question 12 of 16

Bats have a mechanism similar to which other animal that helps to keep blood from draining in their heads while they hang upside down?

... Similar to the valves in a giraffe's neck that help to bring the blood up to its brain, a bat has a special valve in its neck that stops blood from draining in its head while it hangs upside down.

Question 13 of 16

How are tendons normally moved?

... In most creatures, in order to move a tendon the muscles connected to the tendon are contracted, pulling the tendon. For example, if you want to clench your fingers closed, you will need to contract your arm muscles which will pull on the tendons and pull your fingers closed.

Question 14 of 16

How does a bat manage to hang upside down for so long?

... The tendons of a bat's talons are connected to its upper body, rather than to muscle. When a bat hangs upside down it needs to use muscle to open its talons and grip a surface. As it relaxes, the weight of its upper body pulls down on the tendons connected to the talons, causing the talons to close and lock into the position, enabling the bat to remain upside down comfortably for long periods.

Question 15 of 16

What happens when a bat dies?

... A bat will remain hanging even after it dies, since its talons remain closed while the bat is relaxed. It will only come loose if something else jostles it off its hanging perch.

Question 16 of 16

What has happened to a bat's body as a result of spending so much time upside down?

... Bats have lost leg muscle mass since the blood moves to their arms while they are upside down. However, this has allowed them to develop strong arm muscles to aid with flying as a result of the nutrients supplied by the blood flowing to their arms.