ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bat flight

Have you ever seen a bat? They are kind of like mice with wings! Believe it or not, bats are the only mammals that can fly. But how do they do it? Let's find out!

First, let's talk about the wings. A bat's wings are made of skin that stretches from their fingers all the way down to their ankles. This means that when they fly, they are actually flapping their hands and feet. Cool, right?

But how does a bat actually fly? The key is in the way they flap their wings. Bats have really strong muscles in their shoulders and chest that allow them to power their flight. They can flap their wings up to 10 times per second! That's a lot of flapping.

Another interesting thing about bat flight is that they can actually change the shape of their wings while they are flying. This helps them to be more maneuverable in the air. They can fold their wings up to fly through tight spaces, or spread them out wide to fly faster.

One thing that might surprise you is that bats don't use their eyesight to navigate when they're flying. Instead, they use a special sense called echolocation. This means they make high-pitched sounds that bounce off objects around them, and they listen for the echoes to figure out where they are and where they're going. It's kind of like making your own personal map!

So, even though bats might seem a little creepy to some people, they are actually really amazing creatures. Their unique ability to fly and navigate in complete darkness is something humans can't do. Maybe we have a thing or two to learn from these furry flyers!