The most common myth about bats is that they are blind, in fact we even have a saying ‘blind as a bat’. In reality, this depends on the bats species. Certain bats can actually see up to three times better than humans, but none are actually blind. Besides that, bats also use echolocation to get around by emitting sound in order to navigate to where they want to go. Echolocation calls are usually ranging in the frequency from 20 to 200 kilohertz (kHz), whereas humans are only capable to hear around 20 kHz. However, sometimes we are able to hear echolocation clicks from bats such as the spotted bat. These sounds are usually emitted through the mouth, although some emit these echolocation calls through their nostrils. These ultrasonic sounds are characterised by their frequency, intensity and duration in milliseconds. Bats’ ears and brain cells are especially tuned to the frequencies of the sounds they emit and the echoes that result, due to a concentration of receptor cells in their inner ears.

Another old myth claims that bats fly into hair and will build a nest, as they are stuck there. This rumour might have something to do with discouraging young women from going out at night. Bats tend to swirl around our head sometimes, as some of them feed on insects and since we tend to attract insects, bats find it convenient to find their next snack. While bats will not really fly into your head and get stuck there, they do not really build nests either as they are mammals and give birth to their young. They find shelter inside existing structures such as caves, trees, walls and ceilings. Most of the time they are not hanging upside down either, in fact they are frequently horizontal when roosting in small crevices.

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