Most of the oldest known bat fossils were already very similar to modern microbats, such as Archaeopteropus (32 million years ago). Bats, like this big eared townsend bat, have unusually robust immune systems. (Image credit: Public domain) As the only mammal that can fly, there's no doubt that bats It's clear that bats are anything but blind. Here are seven misconceptions about bats, as well as explanations of what really goes on in the batcave. Microbats (see images 1 and 2), also called 'true bats,' echolocate, while fruit bats do not. Bats are fascinating animals the only true flying mammal. And bats don't rely on their eyesight to navigate in flight because they use their echolocation. Myth:Bats are filthy, disease-carrying animals. Contrary to what most people believe, bats are generally not blind at all and in fact are believed to have eyesight keener than that of most humans. Some species of bats have quality vision, and they are able to The category of microbats are very small and they arent well developed. Myth:Bats are blind, hence the expression blind as a bat. Fact: Bats have normal eyesight but do use the echoes from their shrieks to guide their nighttime flights. The worlds only flying mammal isnt nearly as bad as our fears make it out to be. Over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination. 4. The best way to settle this is to run careful experiments to Evolution. Bats have both excellent hearing and good eyesight. Saying someone is blind as a bat may once have indicated that the person had poor eyesight. While most bats do have advanced ears that give them a form of vision in the dark known as echolocation, these good ears does not require them to have bad eyes. Bats are not blind and can in fact see quite well using their eyes. The eyes of the bat will vary depending on which species you happen to be talking about. Fact: As mentioned above, only in rare cases can bats transmit rabies to humans. The myth that bats are blind may stem from the fact that bats often fly very close to objects, but that's a matter of curiosity more than bad eyesight. Bats help spread seeds for nuts, figs and cacao-- the main ingredient in chocolate. However, as science discovers more about these interesting creatures of the night, we find the phrase doesn't really hold true. Microbats have small eyes and well developed visual centres in the brain. The misconception that bats are blind comes from their nocturnal nature and enhanced hearing abilities. Vampire bats weigh only two ounces, and while these Central and South American natives have been known to bite people, they primarily feed on cattle in a way Mies compares to a mosquito. Without bats, we also wouldnt have plants like agave or the iconic saguaro cactus. The delicate skeletons of bats do not fossilise well; it is estimated that only 12% of bat genera that lived have been found in the fossil record. Bats account for more than a quarter of mammal species in the UK and around 20% of all mammal species worldwide. "For example, some fruit bats are colour-blind, while some other fruit bats have colour vision." They do have some vision though so myths that bats are blind is false. There are over 1,400 species of bats in the world, and more are still being discovered. Without bats, say goodbye to bananas, avocados and mangoes.