Bats: These incredible animals fly better than birds and insects.

Representatives of the bats squad are the only mammals on the planet that can fly in the literal sense of the word, and even surpass birds and some insects in their abilities. These animals are so interesting and unusual that a special science - chiropterology - was created to study them. Despite the large amount of research, scientists still can not understand how and why these unusual beasts-lords of the night sky arose. Today we will tell you more about the features that bats can fly with.

The flying apparatus of bats is arranged somewhat differently than that of birds. It may seem unbelievable, but the bats could not only learn how to fly, but also surpassed birds in this skill. As the studies show, in terms of maneuverability and some aerodynamic indicators, the flight of bats is more perfect than the flight of birds. Representatives of the bats squad, depending on the species, are able to fly at a speed of 20 to 50 km / h.

The wings of bats are the forelimbs, the hands of which have very elongated fingers. Between the fingers and the body is an elastic membrane, which, if necessary, can be stretched four times. Their wings are very flexible and surpass the wings of birds in these parameters. In addition, the flight process itself is more perfect for bats than for birds, which allows you to reduce air resistance and perform maneuvers inaccessible to birds, such as, for example, a quick 180º turn.

According to paleontological data, the first bats appeared about 50 million years ago. It is assumed that the ancestors of the bats had only a planning flight, similar to what flying squirrels own today. Well, then, in the process of evolution, their wings reached the perfect look that they have today. Since then, they have managed to get comfortable on our planet and settle on all continents except icy Antarctica. Bats are distinguished not only by their wide range, but also by the largest species diversity among animals. To date, this order has about 1,200 species, which is about 20% of all mammals living on Earth.

Since many bats are active at night, they need to somehow navigate in a space devoid of sunlight. To do this, they have at their disposal echolocation - a way to determine the position of the body using the reflected sound wave. Due to the presence of sonar, bats are able to fly in pitch darkness and in spaces that have a complex configuration of obstacles. In these parameters, they also surpass the best night birds - representatives of the order Owls. According to data from paleontological studies, the very first bats did not have echolocation, this ability developed later.

Contrary to popular belief, not all bats are vampires that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, although many of them have a rather creepy appearance. Moreover, only three species of bats from the vampire subfamily are referred to individuals that feed on blood. And the vast majority of the 1200 species of bats are predators that feed on insects and other small animals. But there are harmless vegetarians among them: about 260 species of bats feed on fruits and other plant foods.