Are Bats Really Blind?

This episode dismantles the popular saying “blind as a bat,” revealing that bats are not blind at all. In fact, many bat species — especially fruit bats — have excellent eyesight, with night vision often superior to humans. Even insect-eating bats, which rely heavily on echolocation, still use their eyes to navigate, detect shapes, and sense light.

The myth arose because early scientists couldn’t detect the ultrasonic calls bats use for echolocation and assumed they navigated in darkness without vision. Over time, this misunderstanding became a catchy phrase, reinforced by folklore, cartoons, and Halloween imagery.

Modern research shows that bats combine echolocation and vision, giving them one of the most sophisticated navigation systems in the animal kingdom. Some species even have color vision and can see ultraviolet light.

The truth: bats aren’t blind at all — they’re multisensory experts. The myth survived simply because humans misunderstood how these remarkable creatures perceive the world.