Is What They Tell Us True?: Myths and Stereotypes About Animals

Is What They Tell Us True?: Myths and Stereotypes About Animals — page 3
Myth No 1 Bat BLOODTHIRSTY VAMPIRE Bloodthirsty vampires Flying mice Disease carriers Signs of evil That’s what usually comes to mind when someone mentions bats But what if those things aren’t entirely true Let’s take a closer look at these critters Surely you’ll realize soon that there’s nothing to be afraid of ARE YOU CRAZY ALL IT TAKES IS ONE LOOK Bats are blind Bats have tiny eyes but are by no means blind For example fruit bats a large type of bat use sight to maintain their orientation while flying Furthermore bats are equipped with echolocation they send out invisible waves These reflect from subjects ahead and return to the bats The echo lets bats know there’s an obstacle in front of them and allows them to avoid it in a blink of an eye Or eat it if they’re so inclined Echolocation 4 Bats tangle in people’s hair People used to believe that bats will tangle into a woman’s long hair if the woman has a guilty conscience They then lead the person to a witch or demon However this is just a folk tale Thanks to their ultrasound bats can recognize such small obstacles that it’s impossible for them to get tangled in anyone’s hair On the contrary you can be sure they’ll give you a wide berth