Bats planning as insects

2008/03/03 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Zoologia
• Fisika

Bats have to beat the wings to plan, even if little, to create a whirlpool of air on the edge of the wing. The ascending part of this swirl has enough strength for the bat to remain in the air. In short, bats are much larger than insects, much heavier, so the swirl they have to form has to have much more strength. To achieve this, yes, bats have their own technique: when moving their fingers adapt the shape of the wings, since their own fingers are part of the wing. Scientists have studied this behavior by introducing bats into a wind tunnel, putting food inside the tunnel to create the fog, and with the help of high speed lasers and cameras, they have thoroughly analysed the movements of bats. F. F. T. T. Muijres, Lund University